Edmonton Social Planning Council

Category: ESPC Publications: Fact Sheets

  • fACT Sheet: 2023 Alberta Provincial Budget

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    Please note this is an excerpt from this fACT Sheet

    The 2023-24 Alberta budget, titled Securing Alberta’s Future, covers finances from April 1, 2023 until March 31, 2024. This is the fifth budget of the governing United Conservative Party (UCP) before the upcoming provincial election, scheduled for May 29, 2023. This budget seeks to address the high cost of living brought on by record high inflation as well as economic diversification, community safety, and reform of the health care system. 

    As with previous budgets, Budget 2023 boasts low taxation, which limits important investments in public services that support Albertans. If Alberta had the same tax structure as the next lowest taxed province (Ontario), the government would generate an additional $19.7 billion in revenue (2023-24).* 

    This fACT Sheet will focus on developments related to social programming that impact those living in low-income and poverty. Investments that positively impact marginalized populations result in long-term savings in other public services, such as health care and the criminal justice system, and increase the overall well-being of our communities. 

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  • fACT Sheet: Affordability Payments to Address Rising Inflation: What You Need to Know

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    Please note this is an excerpt from this fACT Sheet

    Rising inflation has been a pressing concern for all households trying to make ends meet. Increasing prices for food, fuel, utilities (e.g. heat, electricity), and other goods has been a stressor for many Albertans, especially those living in low-income and poverty as wages and income support programs have been stagnant. The latter income support programs also did not keep pace with inflation between 2019 and 2022 before being re-indexed for 2023.

    To address these affordability pressures, the Government of Alberta will be distributing temporary relief payments of $600 to eligible households. These payments will be tax-free.

    The following is a breakdown of the known details (as of January 9, 2022) of these affordability payments and what people need to know to apply. More information can be found on the Government of Alberta website.

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  • fACT Sheet – Decolonizing Research: Implementing OCAP Principles

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    Please note this is an excerpt from this fACT Sheet

    There is an urgent need to decolonize and reimagine research that includes First Nations and Indigenous Peoples, their traditions, and their ways of knowing. Historically, research has been used against Indigenous Peoples, and has been used to justify colonial policies and attitudes. While doing research with and about Indigenous communities may be well intentioned, it carries all this baggage and can unintentionally harm Indigenous communities. The history of research as harmful has instilled racist practices within research that, if people are not aware of them, can unintentionally replicate. Many Indigenous folks have grown to distrust research. Others are tired of constantly being studied and seeing no material benefits in their lives.

    For research to be employed as a tool for empowerment and change, there must be a shift within how research is done – from the questions we ask, to the methods we use to answer those questions, and the way we share those answers. Most importantly, this shift cannot be led by the systems that caused this harm in the first place – it must be led by community.

    OCAP (Ownership, Control, Access, Possession) is a set of guidelines, geared towards non-Indigenous researchers, regarding how to respect the rights of First Nations while doing research with and about them. First Nations have the right to control the data collection processes done in their communities. They should own how this information can be stored, interpreted, used, or shared. OCAP is a method that can be used to decolonize research work towards reconciliation, as it shifts the power away from traditional research processes towards First Nations owned and produced processes.

     

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  • fACT Sheet: Housing Co-Operatives

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    Introduction

    Affordability and the rising cost of living has become a particularly pressing issue especially as Canada recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. With inflation at an all-time high (6.8% as of April 2022, the highest it’s been in 31 years), these rising costs place a disproportionately large strain on low-income households. Shelter costs are among the largest expenses.

    With the number of people experiencing homelessness in Edmonton on the rise (2,758 people are experiencing homelessness as of May 2022 according to Homeward Trust Edmonton’s Homelessness Dashboard), a limited stock of affordable housing units available, and thousands of people placed on years long wait lists to receive rental assistance, there is an urgent need to meaningfully address the housing crisis.

    According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s February 2022 Rental Market Report, in Edmonton the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $1,270 while a two-bedroom condominium is $1,412. While monthly rents are relatively stable in recent years, rents have overall doubled when measured over a 20-year time period, making affordability a concern. This is particularly felt for households earning less than $36,000 a year as they can only affordably access about 15% of purpose-built rentals.

    This dire situation has prompted calls to re-invest in a number of affordable housing programs, particularly co-operative housing. Advocates credit co-operatives as a way for people of all incomes to live affordably in urban centres.

    What Are Co-Operatives?

    Generally speaking, a co-operative (or co-op) refers to an organization that is owned by its members and are operated on a democratic system. Co-operatives can exist within various sectors, which can include financial services, child care, agriculture, and renewable energy.

    A housing co-op refers to a development that provides access to housing for its members, which could be apartments, townhomes, or houses. Housing co-ops either own their land or lease it from a municipality or land trust and are run by boards elected by members. In addition, board members can also volunteer for community upkeep projects.

    To join a housing co-operative, members purchase a share to join and housing costs are set by the board on a break-even, not for profit basis. Some co-ops have a certain number of units set aside for low-income residents (these are usually subsidized with government funding), but the cost of co-op housing for all is usually less than market rentals, which can be as low as half the market rate in some instances.

    In a time where home ownership is increasingly elusive for a sizable portion of the Canadian population, more housing solutions that are accessible to those who cannot or do not want to own a home are necessary.

    Structure and Governance

    Housing co-operatives combine features of owning and renting a home and represent a middle ground between the two. Residents co-own the buildings and pay a monthly housing charge for the unit they live in, but they do not make a down payment or sell their unit if they move out. Members of the co-operative have security of tenure and make all decisions regarding their housing.

    Each member of the co-operative has one vote and they have a say in electing board members, approving budgets, bylaws, and other forms of governance. Bylaws help set parameters around governance issues such as admitting new members, fees and housing charges, and dealing with non-payments. Existing bylaws and changes to them must be kept in line with current legislation and be consistent with human rights laws. Members of a co-operative are allowed to stay for as long as they wish if they are following the bylaws.

    Members are expected to participate in the running of the co-operative by attending meetings. This includes the annual general meeting, where the board of directors is elected, as well as meeting to discuss finances, approve budgets, and amend by-laws.

    Co-operatives may receive government funding to subsidize a certain percentage of their units for low-income residents, which would be set to about 30% of their household income.

    A Brief History of Housing Co-Operatives

    Housing co-operatives in Canada were originally built for students, with the first one starting at the University of Toronto in 1934. Housing co-operatives built for families started in the 1960s as a housing solution for those unable to afford to own a home and faced difficulty finding good quality rental housing.

    The first housing co-operatives for families started in Winnipeg in 1966, with a 200-unit Willow Park Housing Co-Operative. Not only was it affordable, but it fostered a sense of community with the co-operative form of ownership and management. Building off this success, the Co-operative Housing Foundation of Canada (now called the Co-Operative Housing Federation of Canada) was established in 1968 to represent the co-operative housing movement by providing resources, education, and advocacy in support of co-op housing across Canada.

    The federal government followed suit and greatly boosted the sector with a number of initiatives in the 1970s. The National Housing Act was amended in 1973 to create a national co-op housing program. Between 1973 to 1995, over 80,000 co-operative homes were established in Canada under subsequent federal and provincial programs.

    Within Edmonton and the surrounding areas, there are currently 35 housing co-operatives listed as members of the Northern Alberta Cooperative Housing Association (NACHA) with an additional six housing co-operatives that are not NACHA members. Combined they provide more than 1,400 housing units available as apartments, townhouses, duplexes, or houses (split into suites).

    As housing policies and priorities shifted through the years, the federal government ceased financing new social housing projects by the early 1990s as austerity measures took hold and an embrace of the free market as the best place to address people’s housing needs. Not only did these policy directions make housing in general more expensive as a result, but it sidelined housing co-ops as no new developments were built since the late 1990s.

    A Renewed Interest in Co-Op Housing?

    The federal government’s 2022 budget has renewed hopes for a new wave of interest in the co-operative housing sector after nearly 30 years of underfunding.

    Budget 2022 announced $1.5 billion committed to building a new Co-operative Housing Development Program. With this announcement, the government expects to build 6,000 new units across Canada to address the housing crunch.

    Benefits of Co-Ops

    Due to the structure of the co-op, housing costs are more affordable by nature of it operating on a break even process. Since co-ops do not make a profit, costs of housing are below rates paid for housing that operates with profit margins. Any surpluses accrued get set aside into a reserve and can be used to fund projects that benefit the co-op and its members.

    Beyond providing housing that is affordable to people of all incomes, the democratic nature of co-operatives where members work together for mutual benefit, co-ops strengthen local communities by bringing people of diverse backgrounds together as they work collaboratively.

    The co-operative movement can foster initiatives that positively impact the wider community. A prominent local example is the retrofitting of the housing units at the Sundance Housing Co-Operative, located in Edmonton’s Riverdale neighbourhood. The goal of the construction project is to upgrade the buildings with new insulation and energy-efficient windows and doors to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They are also going to be powered by solar power and other green energy. This form of innovation has the potential to be a model for others to follow when addressing environmental sustainability.

    Challenges of Co-Ops

    Since many co-operatives were built in the 1970s and ‘80s, repairs of aging infrastructures has been a challenge. Government funding in support of co-ops has been limited since the 1990s, although there is renewed interest and funding becoming available through the National Housing Strategy.

    Like a lot of affordable housing programs, wait lists for housing co-operatives can be lengthy, especially for those in need of subsidized housing. Wait times to receive co-op housing range between six to eight months to more than three years.

    Since individual housing co-ops set policies on who they admit as members, this means the housing may not be suitable for everyone. For instance, some do not permit pets on the premises and some are meant to be only for adults.

    Final Reflections

    With affordability challenges across the spectrum, access to housing that is safe, suitable, and affordable is a top priority.

    While co-operative housing has been shown to be successful, it represents only a small portion of housing units available across Canada. Scaling up the sector has the potential to reach so many who are in core housing need, which are more than 164,000 people in Alberta alone according to the 2016 Census of Canada.

    Renewed commitments from the federal government is an encouraging development that can potentially raise the profile of the viability of housing co-operatives. More investments and coordination from provincial governments and municipalities will be necessary to further bolster housing co-ops. This includes measures to increase the supply and allocate land for new builds and of course funding to ensure a certain percentage of units are accessible to those living with low incomes.

    In a time where home ownership is increasingly elusive for a sizable portion of the Canadian population, more housing solutions that are accessible to those who cannot or do not want to own a home are necessary.

     

    The Edmonton Social Planning Council is an independent, non-profit, charitable organization focused on social research.

    This fACT Sheet, prepared by the Edmonton Social Planning Council, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

    Edmonton Social Planning Council

    #200, 10544 – 106 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T5K 1C5

    www.edmontonsocialplanning.ca

    @edmontonsp

     

     

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  • fACT Sheet — 2022 Alberta Provincial Budget

    fACT Sheet — 2022 Alberta Provincial Budget

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    Introduction

    The 2022–23 Alberta budget, titled Moving Forward, covers finances from April 1, 2022 until March 31, 2023. This is the fourth budget of the governing United Conservative Party (UCP) as they near the end of their term. A provincial election is expected in spring 2023. It is also the second budget that addresses the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had a profound impact on the health care system as well as various marginalized and underserved populations.

    As with previous budgets, Budget 2022 boasts low taxation, which limits important investments in public services that support Albertans. If Alberta had the same tax structure as the next lowest taxation province (Ontario), the government would generate an additional $14.8 billion in revenue (2022–23). *

    This fACT Sheet will focus on developments related to social programs that impact those living in low-income and poverty. Investments that positively impact vulnerable populations result in long-term savings in other public services, such as health care and the criminal justice system.

    Revenue Measures

    Alberta’s fiscal situation and revenue sources have seen dramatic shifts and swings since the pandemic began. The previous budget, released in February 2021, projected $43.6 billion in revenue for 2021–22, which is now expected to be $18 billion higher ($61.6 billion). This is chiefly due to a rebound in oil prices, resulting in an exponential increase in revenue from non-renewable resources. There are also increases in personal and corporate income taxes, as well as federal transfers from the Government of Canada.

    While rising oil prices are advantageous for provincial coffers, reliance on this form of revenue keeps Alberta on a financial roller coaster. The volatile situation makes long-term planning and financial sustainability a challenge at best.

    Nevertheless, this budget will post a surplus of $511 million, which can support increased funding for these programs.

    Seniors Care and Benefits

    Nearly $3.7 billion has been set aside for Community Care, Continuing Care, and Home Care programs, an increase of $219 million from the previous year. A total of 1,515 new continuing care beds will open in 2022–23. Additional funding for Home Care will enable more older adults to age in place in their own homes and to help them stay independent and connected with social supports.

    The Alberta Seniors Benefit, which provides low-income Albertans aged 65 or older with financial assistance for living expenses, will be maintained. However, demand for the program was lower than forecasted as a result of access to pandemic-related federal support programs.

    Child Care and Benefits

    The Canada-Alberta Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, signed in November 2021, is part of the government’s goal of “improving access to affordable, high-quality, safe and inclusive child care options that create employment opportunities and support parents’ participation in the workforce.” The Agreement will provide $666 million in operating expense funding in 2022– 23 for a total of over $2.6 billion dollars by 2024–25 to enhance the affordability, accessibility, inclusivity, and quality of licensed child care programs. These investments will lower child care fees to an average of $10-per-day per child by 2026.

    In 2022–23, the budget will allocate $879 million towards parent subsidies for licensed programs and program affordability grants, and will create 10,000 new licensed child care spaces in the notfor-profit sector. The government aims to increase child care spaces by 12% by 2024–25. Another $197.1 million is allocated to support the child care workforce through child care certification, professional development, and wage top ups.

    Funding for the existing Alberta Child and Family Benefit is comparable to spending in the previous year.

    Affordable Housing and Homelessness 

    In light of the November, 2021 release of the Government of Alberta’s affordable housing strategy, Stronger Foundations, Budget 2022 includes an additional $14 million over the next three years to fund rental assistance programs for approximately 3,000 households in need of affordable housing.

    The Stronger Foundations strategy seeks to overhaul the affordable housing sector to make it financially sustainable, and accessible for those in need. The province will finance strategy goals using federal funds from the National Housing Strategy as well as the sale of underused affordable housing stock. It remains to be seen whether selling off existing stock will tangibly benefit those in core housing need.

    The City of Edmonton’s request for $49.7 million to build permanent supportive housing units and an additional $8.9 million to operate those units was not included in this budget.

    In line with the last budget, the province will maintain funding for Homeless Support and Outreach Services at $193 million, supporting women’s shelters and Albertans who are unhoused.

    Addictions and Mental Health 

    The government is committed to promoting recoveryoriented addictions and mental health services. In 2019, the government committed $140 million over four years to increase access to mental health and addiction services with a recovery focus. The current budget invests an additional $20 million towards a “recovery-oriented system of care.” There is no mention of harm reduction or supervised consumption sites within the budget documents, which casts doubts about the future of these practices.

    The government will allocate $30 million to support the wellbeing and mental health of children in school and to students experiencing academic challenges within school settings.

    Employment and Income Support 

    Despite calls from advocates, Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) is once again not indexed for inflation. The current maximum benefit rate of $1,685 per month is well below the $2,000 per month advocates feel should be a starting point to keep up with the rising cost of living. There are no significant changes in funding for income supports. According to the ministry, there has been reduced demand for traditional income supports, partially due to clients accessing pandemic-related supports like CERB or CESB.

    The government is focused on helping connect unemployed Albertans and people with disabilities or other barriers to the labour market. In 2022–23, $105.9 million will be allocated to connect individuals with meaningful employment and training opportunities.

    Cost of Living Pressures

    Rising household expenses continues to be a pressing concern for Albertans. This includes increased utility prices during the winter months. Although financial pressures will not be addressed this season, a natural gas rebate program to protect consumers will be introduced between October 2022 and March 2023. Natural gas consumers with less than 2,500 gigajoules (GJ) of annual natural gas consumption will receive a rebate when regulated natural gas companies charge regulated rates above $6.50/GJ.

    Family and Community Support Services

    Funding for Family and Community Support Services will be maintained at $100 million. To address pressing social challenges—particularly against the backdrop of COVID-19—the Ministry of Community and Social Services is providing $7 million for the Civil Society Empowerment Fund to help non-profit organizations and charities address social problems for Albertans. In addition, $13 million will be provided for sexual assault services and over $5 million will be provided for family violence prevention programs.

    Conclusion

    Underfunding of public services has been a persistent challenge in provincial budgets. While spending on programs has overall increased this year, it remains low in proportion to inflation and population growth. Since many federal pandemic-related support programs have ended, or will be phased out in 2022, Albertans in need will almost certainly turn back to provincial programs. The surplus posted by the Government of Alberta provides an opportunity to re-invest in various social programs that can contribute to longer term sustainability for all Albertans. It remains to be seen whether they will pursue this option.

     

    The Edmonton Social Planning Council is an independent, non-profit, charitable organization focused on social research.

    This fACT Sheet, prepared by the Edmonton Social Planning Council, is licensed under a Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

     

    Edmonton Social Planning Council

    #200, 10544 – 106 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T5K 1C5

    www.edmontonsocialplanning.ca            @edmontonspc

     

    *Government of Alberta. (2022). Fiscal Plan, 2022–25.

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  • fACT Sheet: Get Out & Vote! Election Information for Edmonton Voters

    fACT Sheet: Get Out & Vote! Election Information for Edmonton Voters

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    Introduction

    The right to vote in elections is considered one of the most important components of a democracy. Today, any Canadian citizen 18 years of age or older is eligible to cast their ballot in a municipal, provincial, and federal election. Unfortunately, this hasn’t always been the case. Voting was originally permitted only for men affluent enough to own land or pay taxes. Those who did not meet this criteria—based on lack of property ownership or because of their gender, race, or religion—were excluded. White women were granted the right to vote by 1918 and in 1920 property qualifications were abolished. Between the end of the Second World War and up to the early 1960s, disqualification on racial and religious grounds were eliminated, culminating when all First Nations peoples were granted the unconditional right to vote in 1960 without losing their status. By 1970, the voting age was lowered from 21 years of age to 18.

    The evolution of voting rights and the ways in which people have historically been included—or excluded—is an important reminder that voting is not something to be taken for granted. In 2021, Edmontonians have the chance to vote in both a municipal and federal election (October 18 and September 20, respectively). With the chance to vote for a mayor, city councillor, school board trustee, and member of Parliament, we as citizens have a big responsibility to demonstrate which direction we want our city and our country to go.

    What Are Organizations Doing to Engage Voters and Increase Voter Turnout?

    A number of groups and initiatives do outreach work to engage voters, especially those who may not turn out in large numbers to the voting booth. Some notable initiatives with a focus on the federal election include the following:

    Apathy is Boring is a national charitable organization that educates and supports youth to become active and contributing citizens to Canada’s democracy. In addition to mobilizing voter turnout, the group works toward empowering youth to meaningfully engage with all aspects of the democratic process.

    Vote Housing is a national, non-partisan, grassroots advocacy campaign led by a coalition of advocates for affordable housing and the elimination of homelessness. It seeks to engage voters on issues of housing and to cast votes based on political party and candidate plans to address these issues.

    The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations launched a nationwide Get Out the Vote campaign together with 24 student associations (including the University of Alberta, MacEwan University, and Athabasca University). The campaign seeks to engage with students on the importance of voting and how it can shape their future.

    The On Canada Project is a grassroots initiative focused on mobilizing youth (millennials and Generation Z) to build a community of change agents to disrupt the status quo. Originally launched to share credible information about the COVID-19 pandemic targeted to youth and marginalized populations, its mandate broadened to focus on giving younger Canadians the information they need to compassionately disrupt the status quo. This has included sharing information on voting, challenging apathy, and analyzing debates.

    Voter Turnout in Previous Elections

    The right to vote is only effective when citizens exercise this right and show up to cast their ballot. The chart below represents voter turnout among Edmontonians in every municipal, provincial, and federal election between 1997 and 2019. Though voter turnout does fluctuate with each election cycle, the overall trend is that voter turnout is highest for federal elections (the highest was 69.1% in 2015) and lowest for municipal elections (the lowest was 27.2% in 2007). Competitive races in general—those with the prospect of a change in provincial or federal government or a competitive mayoral race—tend to lead to higher voter turnout.

    Figure 1— Source: Tracking the Trends, 2020

    It is clear that more work needs to be done to increase voter turnout and facilitate voter engagement, especially at the municipal level. While provincial and federal governments tackle big and sweeping issues, municipalities engage with citizens on a local level. This is crucial to building and maintaining vibrant communities that are responsive to neighbourhood concerns. Decisions that elected officials make at all levels of government affect all of our lives, both directly and indirectly. They especially impact those coming from marginalized or underserved groups—whether they are racialized or Indigenous, women, LGBTQ2S+, seniors, immigrants and refugees, children and youth, persons with disabilities, or others. Maximizing voter turnout among the eligible population is crucial to a healthy democracy.

    Voting Options for the Federal and Municipal Elections

    Federal Election

    Canada’s federal election will be held on September 20, 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Elections Canada is anticipating more interest in voting by mail. The deadline for this option has passed; registration for those wishing to exercise this option ended on September 14.

    Advance polls were available on September 10, 11, 12, and 13. Locations for designated election day polls can be found through Elections Canada’s Voter Information Service. Close to 5.8 million Canadians have already voted in advance, which is a record turnout for advance voting.

    Whether voters cast their ballot by mail, in an advance poll, or on election day, it is important that they are registered to vote. This can be done in advance through the Elections Canada website, in-person at any Elections Canada office, or at the polling station on voting day.

    In previous elections, advance polling stations were set up at post-secondary institutions specifically for students to cast their ballot for any riding in Canada. This was part of an initiative called Vote on Campus, which was credited for increasing voter turnout. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this initiative is not being offered for the 2021 election. Advocates say this will place barriers on students’ ability to vote.

    Municipal Election

    Edmonton’s municipal election will be held on October 18, 2021. Advance voting will be offered from October 4 to 13. Voting locations for advance voting or election day voting can be found using the City of Edmonton’s Find Your Voting Station online tool. The number of advance voting stations has doubled from the previous election and there will be a total of 212 voting stations available across the city on election day.

    Those who cannot vote on election day or at an advance voting station due to a disability or absence from the city can request a special ballot through the City of Edmonton Elections office.

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