In Alberta, the income provided by social assistance is not sufficient to maintain housing. The Homelessness Income Cut-Off (HICO) shows how much income is needed for individuals and families living on low incomes to avoid homelessness amidst rising shelter costs, rising food prices, and lagging incomes. It is an invitation to policymakers in Alberta to compare social assistance benefits to the HICO and adjust them as a strategy to prevent homelessness.
This policy brief is based on the information and data published in the December 2024 report The Homelessness Income Cut-Off by Ron Kneebone and Margarita Wilkins at the School of Public Policy.
