Poverty Costs

An economic case for a preventative poverty strategy in Alberta. Some argue that reducing the number of people living in poverty is a
moral imperative, and that we should therefore accelerate our efforts to address it. Others argue that our assistance programs are more than generous already. Maintaining the status quo is certainly an option – we could choose to declare that the programs and policies we have in place now are the most we are willing to do. If this is the case, it begs the question: What is the financial cost of this decision to our provincial government, to taxpayers, and to those living in poverty? How much does it cost to perpetuate poverty in Alberta?