Edmonton Social Planning Council

Category: **Resources: ESPC Documents:

  • Edmonton’s Living Wage 2023

    [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_4,1_4″ use_custom_gutter=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” border_width_bottom=”1px” border_color_bottom=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_post_title meta=”off” featured_image=”off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”||||||||” custom_margin=”||3px|||” border_color_bottom=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_post_title][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://edmontonsocialplanning.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/COLOUR-BLOCKS_spaced-300×51.png” title_text=”COLOUR BLOCKS_spaced” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”100%” max_height=”75px” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”10px|0px|20px|0px|false|false” global_module=”96648″ global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_4,1_4″ use_custom_gutter=”on” make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%” custom_margin=”0px|auto|0px|auto|false|false” custom_padding=”30px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”content” _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_text_color=”#2b303a” custom_padding=”||32px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9kYXRlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJkYXRlX2Zvcm1hdCI6ImRlZmF1bHQiLCJjdXN0b21fZGF0ZV9mb3JtYXQiOiIifX0=@[/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=”https://edmontonsocialplanning.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Living-Wage-2023_PDF.pdf” button_text=”Download the Edmonton’s Living Wage 2023″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_bg_color=”#008ac1″ custom_margin=”||19px|||” custom_padding=”||5px|||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_button][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.1″ text_text_color=”#2b303a” text_line_height=”1.6em” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_text_color=”#008ac1″ header_2_font_size=”24px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”justified” width=”100%” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”25px||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][Nov. 8, 2023, Edmonton, AB] Today, Edmonton Social Planning Council (ESPC) in collaboration with the Alberta Living Wage Network (ALWN or “the Network”) has released a new living wage of $22.25 per hour for Edmonton. The living wage has increased by $0.85 over last year even after federal and provincial government affordability measures were incorporated into the calculation.

    The living wage is defined as the hourly wage a worker needs to earn to cover their basic expenses and have a modest standard of living once government transfers have been added and taxes have been subtracted. The calculation is based on the income needs of three household types: a two-parent family with two young children; a lone-parent family with one child; and a single individual. It assumes that each adult is working full-time hours and includes savings for unexpected costs, continuing education, child care, and a small amount which allows people to participate in the community.

    Quotes:
    “Affordability has been top of mind for many households in recent years. Every year that our living wage numbers increase means that families reliant on minimum wage or low-wage jobs will have more challenges being able to afford the basics. Affordability measures taken by the federal and provincial governments such as the Grocery Rebate and the affordability payments brought needed relief to many. However, long-term and robust measures are needed to make a lasting difference.”

    Susan Morrissey, Executive Director, Edmonton Social Planning Council
    “Despite increasing costs on just about everything – particularly shelter – we did see some things that put downward pressure on the living wages. Government affordability measures and the Canada Dental Benefit have helped families. What’s missing in Alberta is any real action on increasing minimum wage despite every single other province making increases in 2023.”

    Ryan Lacanilao, Coordinator, Alberta Living Wage Network
    “A livable income is one of the most important anti-poverty measures available to us in our policy toolkit. Providing timely living wage calculations is an indispensable service the Alberta Living Wage Network offers and helps to inform our advocacy efforts. We applaud the hard work of the Network so our communities are informed and we are able to take action.”

    Erick Ambtman, Executive Director, EndPovertyEdmonton
    “Meeting our basic needs is essential for all community members and being paid a living wage is a crucial way of making sure every household can provide for their families. Every person deserves to live with dignity and be able to participate in their community so that they can thrive, not just survive. Livable incomes help strengthen the health of our communities.”

    Gary Savard, Greater Edmonton Alliance for the Common Good
    “Women and newcomers are among some of the most likely to have incomes under the living wage rate. By bringing awareness to what a living wage is within our communities and committing to providing a living wage, we are empowering our most vulnerable and marginalized populations.”

    Denise Kirk, GBV Resource Collective
    • Learn more about Edmonton’s living wage calculation.
    • 17 municipalities in Alberta released their living wages today. Learn more about how Edmonton’s living wage compares.
    • View ALWN’s common questions and answers about living wages and how employers can get certified.

    About Edmonton Social Planning Council
    The Edmonton Social Planning Council is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan social research organization, with registered charitable status. Our focus is social research, particularly in the areas of low income and poverty. ESPC is a source of knowledge and expertise on social issues within our community.

    About the Alberta Living Wage Network
    The Alberta Living Wage Network is a network of community organizations and municipalities with the goal of advancing a coordinated living wage movement in Alberta. The network assists communities in their annual living wage calculation and has certified more than 100 living wage employers in the province. For more information visit livingwagealberta.ca and follow @livingwageab on Twitter or Instagram.

    For more information or to schedule interviews with living wage employers or experts, contact:
    Sydney Sheloff
    Edmonton Social Planning Council
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    New report suggests Alberta’s living wage is higher than the minimum wage

    630 CHED Afternoons with J’lyn Nye

    Guest: Susan Morrissey, Executive Director, Edmonton Social Planning Council

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  • Blog Post: Impacts of Parental Rights Movement on 2SLGBTQ+ Youth

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    Written by Janell Uden, Research Services and Capacity Building Coordinator  

    There is a lot of controversy surrounding a recent bill passed in Saskatchewan, which requires that schools obtain parental consent before a child under sixteen years old can use a preferred name, pronoun or gender expression at school. One take that has been building momentum during this new wave movement of prioritizing “parental rights” in education- are those who feel that parents need to protect their children from the indoctrination of the government in schools. Those opposing this parental rights bill say that schools should be protecting 2SLGBTQ+ youth from the negative risk factors they could face if they do not live in a supportive home. The priority of the debate gets lost when both sides argue, as both children’s families and schools should be safe, supportive, and protective places. It draws away attention from the children, who are the subject of concern.

    To further explain, some are worried that allowing children to change their gender, name, or pronouns at school without parental consent is violating the parental right to know what is going on with their child, especially something as important as this. Some of these parents want to be informed and be the ones to educate their child on this subject. This could be concerning, if some of these parents want to teach their children that their identity is wrong. Other parents know that not all 2SLGBTQ+ youth have parents who are accepting of their child’s gender expression, sexual orientation, or gender identity and when this is the case, youth’s lives are negatively altered. As a result of the seriousness of these potential risks, some parents don’t think they’re worth taking, and the disclosure of this information should be left up to the youth. This law prioritizes “parental rights” to know what is going on with their child, when that child is trying to explore their gender and sexuality. Rather than creating a safe and comfortable environment for their children to talk to them, one might wonder if this failing of familial communication is a priority for this government? In situations where parents don’t know their child’s gender, pronoun, name change in school it is likely because the child either hasn’t told their parents yet because they are not ready, or they may be scared to do so.

    As mentioned, 2SLGBTQ+ youth who do not live in supportive homes face increased risks.

    One of these risks is youth homelessness.

    Past research shows that up to 40% of young people who experience homelessness are 2SLGBTQ+, (Abramovich & Shelton, 2017).

    Meanwhile, 2SLGBTQ+ youth only make up as estimated 5-10% of housed youth (Abramovich & Shelton, 2017).

    Compared to 2SLGBTQ+ youth who receive familial support, those whose families reject them are (Côté & Blais, 202; Ryan et al., 2009):

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The greatest predictor of future involvement with the juvenile justice system for 2SLGBTQ+ youth is having to leave home because of family rejection (Fedders, 2006). Being without basic needs such as housing and food, these youth are forced to commit “survival crimes” or to leave school so they can earn an income (Majd et al., 2006). While we all can agree that parents should know what is going on in their child’s life, keeping the facts above in mind, it raises the question of is it worth placing child’s rights, below “parental rights”?

    To pass this law in Saskatchewan, the premier has had to invoke the notwithstanding clause to override the children’s chart rights and rush the passing of this bill, instead of taking it through the normal legislative process (Hunter, 2023). The notwithstanding clause can override certain sections of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code (Hunter, 2023). Is it just for a law to have to use this clause to violate both provincial and federal human rights codes, as well as Canada’s agreement to the United Nation’s Convention on Rights to the Child to prioritize parent’s rights over their children’s rights? Saskatchewan and New Brunswick may be the minority in trying to push these bills as far as all the provinces go, however Alberta may not be far behind.

    This weekend at the United Conservative Party Annual General Meeting, there was an overwhelming majority of support for a resolution that proposes the same school pronoun bill as Saskatchewan (Johnson, 2023). This attendance of this weekend’s UCP AGM set a record for the largest provincial party meeting in Alberta’s history (Kury de Castillo, 2023). The Premier also made a clear statement in her address supporting parental rights and choices in education, while condemning the far left for ‘undermining’ the role of parents.

    When this bill was brought up in Saskatchewan, the government took nine days to draft its pronoun policy and released it to the public four days later (Simes, 2023). School boards were not consulted, and 2SLGBTQ+ youth certainly were not consulted. As discussions of this happening in other provinces and a resolution vote happening at a political party’s AGM are not surefire signs that this will happen here, there is certainly already discussion. Even the rumblings of this bill passing in other provinces will lead to household discussions where 2SLGBTQ+ youth find out if their house is a safe place for them or not.

    In 2014, an MLA tried to pass a bill that would require that students get permission to join a Gay Straight Alliance Group at school (GSA) at school. This bill was shut down due to a lot of public pushback, and we here at ESPC had a role in hosting public consultations surrounding this bill. This suggests that with proper advocacy and public education, the gender, pronoun and name bill could meet the same fate. Currently, students in Alberta do not have to obtain parental permission to participate in a GSA group at school due to concerns of the potential of familial discrimination and lack of support (Alberta Teachers Association, 2018). The Alberta Teachers Association also states that unwanted breaches of sexual orientation and gender identity to a parent without the express consent of the student can have potentially devastating and life-threatening consequences (Alberta Teachers Association, 2018). If this is the agreed upon best practice for teachers and schools navigating youth’s involvement in GSA’s, why would the reasoning differ for pronoun, name or gender changes? Hopefully the Alberta school board will be consulted if this policy proposal moves any further past this AGM, and although the youth likely won’t be consulted due to the nature of the bill, perhaps the rest of us can centre the youth’s needs as this conversation is just beginning.

     

    References  

    Abramovich, A., & Shelton, J. (Eds.). (2017). Where Am I Going to Go? Intersectional Approaches to Ending LGBTQ2S Youth Homelessness in Canada & the U.S. Toronto: Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press.

    Alberta Teachers’ Association. (2018, August). GSAs and QSAs in Alberta Schools – A Guide for Teachers. The Alberta Teachers Association. https://legacy.teachers.ab.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/ATA/Publications/Human-Rights-Issues/PD-80-6%20GSA-QSA%20Guide%202018.pdf

    Côté, P.-B., & Blais, M. (2020). “the least loved, that’s what I was”: A qualitative analysis of the pathways to homelessness by lgbtq+youth. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 33(2), 137–156. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538720.2020.1850388

    Fedders, Barbara (2006) “Coming Out for Kids: Recognizing, Respecting, and Representing LGBTQ Youth,” Nevada Law Journal: Vol. 6: Iss. 3, Article 15.
    Available at: https://scholars.law.unlv.edu/nlj/vol6/iss3/15

    Hunter, A. (2023, October 14). Sask. government use of notwithstanding clause, school policy could overshadow fall legislative sitting. CBC News. Retrieved November 6, 2023, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/sask-notwithstanding-clause-1.6995293.

    Johnson, L. (2023, November 4). Alberta UCP members approve party policy pushing for parental consent on pronouns. Edmonton Journal. Retrieved November 5, 2023, from https://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/nine-months-on-still-no-alberta-sovereignty-act-inspired-suit-from-onion-lake-cree-nation

    Kury de Castillo, C. (2023, November 5). Alberta’s UCP AGM givces party a ‘sense of direction’: expert. Global News. Retrieved November 6, 2023, from https://globalnews.ca/news/10072206/alberta-ucp-agm-sense-of-direction/

    Majd, K., Marksamer, J., Reyes, C. (2009). Hidden Injustice: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth in Juvenille Courts. Legal Services for Chilren, National Juvenille Defender Center, and National Center for Lesbian Rights. https://www.modelsforchange.net/publications/237/Hidden_Injustice_Lesbian_Gay_Bisexual_and_Transgender_Youth_in_Juvenile_Courts.pdf

    Ryan, C., Huebner, D., Diaz, R. M., & Sanchez, J. (2009). Family rejection as a predictor of negative health outcomes in white and Latino Lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults. Pediatrics, 123(1), 346–352. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2007-3524

    Simes, J. (2023, October 18). Saskatchewan’s pronoun and naming changes at school part of larger trend: professor. The Canadian Press. Retrieved November 6, 2023, from https://www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/politics/saskatchewans-pronoun-and-naming-changes-at-school-part-of-larger-trend-professor/article_232094bd-5a46-5f3b-9e2a-976fbdb2644e.html

     

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  • Vital Signs 2023 – A look at Food Security in Edmonton

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    Edmonton Vital Signs is an annual check-up initiative conducted by Edmonton Community Foundation, in partnership with Edmonton Social Planning Council, to measure how the community is doing.

    This Vital Signs report focuses on Food Insecurity in Edmonton.

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    A LOOK AT SYSTEMIC RACISM IN EDMONTON – VITAL SIGNS 2022

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  • Research Review: UBC Study on Unconditional Cash Transfers and Public Perception

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    By Olivia Neufeldt

    A recent publication by University of British Columbia researchers Dwyer et al., (2023) explores the impact of a one-time, unconditional cash transfer of $7,500 on people experiencing homelessness in Vancouver, British Columbia, and the public response to this program. Using three distinct studies, the researchers focus on the impact of cash transfers on people experiencing homelessness, public perception of how people experiencing homelessness would spend cash transfers, and the public perception of a cash transfer policy and its perceived impact on society.

    Study 1

    In Study 1, the researchers examined how people experiencing homelessness in Vancouver were impacted by a one-time, unconditional cash transfer over the course of one year (Dwyer et al., 2023). Some participants also participated in workshops every three months for a year which focused on self-affirmation, goal setting, and plan-making; and also received coaching which took the form of three 45-minute calls per month for six months aimed to increase self-efficacy and life skills. Participants in this study were between 19 and 65 years of age, homeless for less than two years, Canadian citizens or permanent residents, and had nonsevere levels of substance use, alcohol use, and mental health symptoms. All participants were given surveys throughout the year that measured housing stability, employment, education, income, spending, executive function, fluid intelligence, subjective well-being, food security, substance use severity, and social service use.

    Participants were divided into 4 groups:
    • Condition 1 (25 participants):
    o Given a one-time cash transfer of $7,500.
    o Participated in workshops and received coaching.
    • Condition 2 (25 participants):
    o Given a one-time cash transfer of $7,500.
    o Participated in workshops.
    o Did not receive coaching.
    • Condition 3 (19 participants):
    o Did not receive a cash transfer.
    o Participated in workshops and received coaching.
    • Condition 4 (46 participants):
    o Did not receive a cash transfer.
    o Did not participate in workshops or coaching.

    The researchers developed three hypotheses related to cognitive and subjective well-being outcomes (Dwyer et al., 2023). Cognitive outcomes included fluid intelligence and executive function, while subjective well-being outcomes included life satisfaction, positive and negative affect, and self-efficacy. The researchers predicted that at the one-month check-in, cash recipients would show better cognitive and subjective well-being outcomes than control participants; cash recipients who received coaching would have better cognitive and subjective well-being outcomes than the cash recipients who did not receive coaching; and control participants who participated in the workshops and coaching would have better cognitive and subjective well-being outcomes than control participants who did not participate in any workshops or coaching. The researchers’ hypotheses were challenged as they found no difference in cognitive function or subjective well-being when comparing the groups in each hypothesis.

    Using exploratory analyses, the researchers found that participants who were given the cash transfer spent 99 fewer days homeless and 55 more days in stable housing on average than control participants (Dwyer et al., 2023). The cash recipients kept more money in savings and also spent more money than control participants. Through self-reports, the researchers found that cash recipients spent more of their money than control participants on durable goods (i.e., furniture, car), rent, food, and transit. Cash recipients and control participants both spent similar amounts of money on temptation goods (i.e., drugs, alcohol, cigarettes), and the amount each group spent on temptation goods did not increase during the study. The researchers note that the benefits of the cash transfer appeared primarily within the first three months of the transfer.

    The participants in conditions 1, 2, and 3 who took part in workshops and/or received coaching support did not benefit from these resources (Dwyer et al., 2023). Instead, the participants indicated that instrumental resources, such as assistance in obtaining an ID, creating a resume, setting up a chequing account, and finding affordable housing were more useful to them. This suggests that there was a gap between the need that was present, and the support being provided in the form of workshops and training.

    Study 2

    In Study 2, the researchers examined potential public mistrust of homeless individuals’ spending abilities by asking members of the public what they thought people experiencing homelessness would spend money on if given an unconditional cash transfer of $7,500 (Dwyer et al., 2023). Participants in this study were more likely to predict that a person experiencing homelessness would spend the cash transfer on temptation goods than a person who was stably housed or if the participant themselves was homeless. These results suggest that there are stereotypes and negative beliefs about people experiencing homelessness, specifically a perceived lack of responsibility regarding money. The researchers note that mistrust in people experiencing homelessness may hinder support for cash transfer programs or policies for people experiencing homelessness.

    Study 3

    In Study 3, the researchers explored public perception of the results from Study 1. Participants were members of the public who were provided with different descriptions of the results of Study 1 and then asked to share their level of support for a cash transfer policy (Dwyer et al., 2023). Participants in the study were more receptive to the messages that people experiencing homelessness used the cash transfers to purchase essential goods, increased their self-reliance, and created a net savings for society by relying less on shelters. The researchers suggest that when stereotypes are challenged with evidence or when cash transfers are presented as generating a net savings for society and helping people experiencing homelessness become more independent, members of the public may be more supportive of cash transfer programs.

    Limitations

    There are limitations of this study, particularly in Study 1, which are important to acknowledge to better understand the results and their implications. The researchers recognize these limitations but present their results as overwhelmingly successful despite the potential impact of these limitations.

    Study 1 was faced with issues with participant attrition, meaning that as the study progressed, the number of participants decreased. Firstly, after applying the inclusion criteria and removing participants who declined to participate or were unable to contact, and maintaining a reserve list, 115 participants were chosen to participate in one of four groups (Dwyer et al., 2023). During each subsequent check-in stage, the number of participants decreased. By the final 12-month check-in, there were 79 participants who actively participated in the study, 35 in the two cash groups and 44 in the two control groups (Dwyer et al., 2023). Since the number of participants varied throughout the study, this challenges the researchers’ ability to compare participant results across each follow-up period.

    Secondly, to manage the loss of participants, the researchers recruited additional control participants during the course of the study to replace those who had dropped out (Dwyer et al., 2023). This raises questions about the reliability of the control participant results as the replacement participants may have had different experiences from those who left the study and thus, may impact what results and conclusions are reached.

    Thirdly, the small sample size of participants throughout the study suggests that the conclusions drawn from the data may not reflect the diverse experiences of people experiencing homelessness. The small sample size also impacted the researchers’ ability to find a significant effect for each individual group and led to the extrapolation of the data (Dwyer et al., 2023).

    However, it is important to note that researchers often face challenges locating and maintaining contact with participants experiencing homelessness (Becker et al., 2014), suggesting that the small sample size in Study 1 may reflect the difficulties in retaining participants experiencing homelessness.

    Where Do We Go from Here?

    Keeping these limitations in mind, the discussion that the researchers present regarding the potential benefits of cash transfers, stereotypes about people experiencing homelessness, and public perception of the efficacy of cash transfers present an opportunity for the community, those in government, and policy makers to reexamine what steps are being taken to support people experiencing homelessness and what beliefs they have about people experiencing homelessness. There are a number of questions that arise from this study that future research should consider.

    Key Questions for Further Study

    • Do cash transfers have a significant impact on people experiencing homelessness who belong to varying demographics (e.g., people experiencing homelessness and are: newcomers, of different ages, unemployed, experiencing hidden homelessness, homeless for more than two years, living in encampments, and/or experiencing substance use and/or mental health challenges)?
    • What impact would a larger cash transfer have? Study 1 provided participants with $7,500; however, the researchers recognized that this was not much money for someone living in Vancouver (Dwyer et al., 2023).
    • Do one-time, unconditional cash transfers have long-term impacts? Study 1 examined effects over the course of one year, but this does not show whether these cash transfers had a significant impact on people experiencing homelessness after a year.
    • How do cash transfers compare to the short- and long-term impacts of other services and support, such as food banks, shelters, and emergency services? Are the societal savings that come with an unconditional transfer consistent over time?
    • What impact do cash transfers have during times of static housing development? Study 1 took place during a time of modular housing development in Vancouver, but this type of development varies from year to year (Dwyer et al., 2023).
    • Are the current workshops and coaching supports available to people experiencing homelessness meeting their needs?
    • Given the stereotypes that exist about people experiencing homelessness, what can be done to challenge these stereotypes?
    • How do stereotypes about people experiencing homelessness impact the development and implementation of government policies and community support intended to help people experiencing homelessness?

    References

    Becker, K., Berry, S. H., Orr, N., & Perlman, J. (2014). Finding the hard to reach and keeping them engaged in research. In R. Tourangeau, B. Edwards, T. P. Johnson, K. M. Wolter, & N. Bates (Eds.), Hard-to-survey populations (pp. 619–641). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139381635.036

    Dwyer, R., Palepu, A., Williams, C., Daly-Grafstein, D., & Zhao, J. (2023). Unconditional cash transfers reduce homelessness. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(36), https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2222103120

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  • Blog Post: Update on Supervised Consumption Sites in Alberta

    [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.19.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_4,1_4″ use_custom_gutter=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” border_width_bottom=”1px” border_color_bottom=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_post_title meta=”off” featured_image=”off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”||||||||” custom_margin=”||3px|||” border_color_bottom=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_post_title][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://edmontonsocialplanning.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/COLOUR-BLOCKS_spaced-300×51.png” title_text=”COLOUR BLOCKS_spaced” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”100%” max_height=”75px” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”10px|0px|20px|0px|false|false” global_module=”96648″ global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_4,1_4″ use_custom_gutter=”on” make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%” custom_margin=”0px|auto|0px|auto|false|false” custom_padding=”30px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”content” _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_text_color=”#2b303a” custom_padding=”||32px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9kYXRlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJkYXRlX2Zvcm1hdCI6ImRlZmF1bHQiLCJjdXN0b21fZGF0ZV9mb3JtYXQiOiIifX0=@[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.1″ text_text_color=”#2b303a” text_line_height=”1.6em” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_text_color=”#008ac1″ header_2_font_size=”24px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”justified” width=”100%” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”25px||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

    Written by Janell Uden, Research Services and Capacity Building Coordinator

    Supervised Consumption Sites (SCS) are part of a range of evidence-based services that aim to reduce harm, support prevention, and provide treatment for Albertans (Alberta Health Services, 2023). In these sites, people who use drugs can do so in a monitored, hygienic, way to reduce harm from substance use. Medical care, connecting people to broader health and social services, such as treatment and recovery-oriented support, as well as decreasing the transmission of infections are all functions of SCS. Supervised consumption sites’ most well-known benefits are reducing overdose mortality, and infectious related complications (Young & Fairbairn, 2018). Despite the overwhelming amount of evidence supporting the benefits of SCS for people who use drugs, and saving costs by avoiding emergency services, SCS that have been closed in Alberta, have not re-opened and expansion is not on the horizon.

    It has been 3 years since the Government of Alberta released a report about supervised consumption sites, claiming that they increased social disorder, crime and prevented treatment (Government of Alberta, 2020). To address this, the elected UCP government “shifted controlled drug/public health policy away from evidence-based harm reduction toward a moralistic model of abstinence and treatment” (Hudes, 2019). This report which has been criticized by many, including criminology professor James D. Livingston. In this article, Livingston highlights that to date, no peer reviewed research has linked supervised consumption sites to increased crime. He also explains that the report had a major methodological flaw regarding how crime was measured. The way the review panel measured crime was by using police service call data and public perceptions of crime. Livingston notes that this is problematic because “police service calls” measure a variety of police activities and it is unreasonable to present police service calls as equating to changes in crime levels. Additionally, using public perception as the other data source of criminal activity increase fails to withstand scrutiny, as it was taken by a convenience, non-representative sample which relies on people to “recall their past experiences with numerous crime related (and other) experiences before and after opening the SCS” (Livingston, 2021). The report shows the “crimes reported in the “sub-beat” of the Lethbridge SCS in 2017, and in 2018 but does not include the first two months of 2018, as it opened February 28, 2018. It shows large amounts of crimes reported in the “sub-beat” area of the SCS (Government of Alberta, 2020). In his commentary, Livingston reminds readers that “recall and recency bias are inherent limitations of such questions and of retrospective self-report surveys generally” (Livingston, 2021). Although the report can safely be discredited, it has been the standing ground for closing supervised consumption sites, avoiding plans to address the current opioid crisis and spreading the narrative that supervised consumption sites are a “failed experiment” and should not be funded (2023 Governance Resolutions to UCP AGM, 2023).

    The authors conveniently chose data stating that death rates in the vicinity of supervised consumption sites continue to rise after sites were being established, ignoring the fact that the death rates overall were lower when a supervised consumption site was open. Here we can see in this graph below that while The Lethbridge Supervised Consumption Site was open, the death rate per 100,000 people was on average 47.91% lower (Alberta Substance Use Surveillance System, 2023)

     

    As was found in the same Government of Alberta report, there were no deaths recorded amongst people who used drugs at the SCS sites. This means that one of the most basic tenets of Lethbridge’s supervised consumption site was effective: reduce the amount of opioid related deaths, and this not only worked in the facility, but also in that city. As shown in the graph above, death rates overall in Lethbridge have increased since the closure of the site. So, even if death rates increased within the radius of the supervised consumption sites, death rates overall did not increase and did not occur within the facility.

    When the SCS in Lethbridge closed, Alberta Health put an overdose prevention service (OPS) van in place, as a temporary measure to continue to address the drug poisoning crisis. Between August 17, 2020, to present, the median number of visits to this site has been 11,876 visits per quarter (Alberta Substance Use Surveillance System, 2023). When the Lethbridge SCS was open, the median number of visits per quarter was 50,585 (Alberta Substance Use Surveillance System, 2023). Although the Lethbridge OPS sees less visits overall, this clearly does not mean overdoses are decreasing, as shown above. Lethbridge OPS was established as a temporary measure, to replace the SCS, however, it has been open for half a year longer than the SCS. It is doing a less effective job at reducing the death rate, and no longer provides other resources that help people who use drugs. Lethbridge was the most highly visited supervised consumption site in North America while it was open (Alberta Substance Use Surveillance Government System, 2023). The reduction in visits to the OPS does not mean people have stopped using drugs. Supervised consumption sites, as obvious by the name, is a place where people can use drugs safely, with clean supplies, with people there to help them in case of an overdose. Supervised consumption sites also have resources like healthcare, social services and addiction services, social and affective resources (Greene et al., 2023). The replacement of the SCS with the OPS as reported by the participants in Greene, Maier and Urbanik’s study made them feel unsafe to access it due to location, limits on consumption routes, and lack of social space, activities and services. These new barriers have deterred many people who use drugs away from accessing any services at all. Supervised consumption sites not only save lives and provide resources, but they also enable cost savings.

     A study done by Khair et al (2022) found that each overdose managed at the SCS in Calgary produces approximately $1600 in savings. During the two full years studied, the benefits from avoiding emergency services by handling overdoses at the SCS in Calgary were $1,078,630 in 2018 and $1,132,156 in 2019. This is only accounting for the need for ambulance and emergency department services, and assuming the minimum billing fee. These numbers do not account for overdose-related hospitalization costs, or health complications from needle sharing, and thus may underestimate the total costs saved.

     Provincially, the crude death rate of people dying by drug poisoning has increased since the closure of the supervised consumption site in Lethbridge, as well as the closure of another in Edmonton during approximately the same time (Boyle Street SCS 5 booths, 12 hours per day, March 23, 2018- December 16, 2020, Government of Canada, 2023; Alberta Substance Use Surveillance Government System, 2023). Currently, the opioid crisis is killing an additional average of 303 people per year in Alberta, each year since 2020, and in 2023, 434 people have died within the first three months (Government of Canada, 2023).

    Previous research and activism cautioned the government against closing the sites to begin with, referring to tons of research showing their validity and benefits. The criticisms of the government’s report on supervised consumption sites, plans for addressing the province’s ongoing opioid crises, the increase in the death rate in municipalities where SCS existed and no longer do, the increasing deaths provincially, the cost benefits to avoiding emergency services, and all previous evidence-based research supporting SCS, demand a reconsideration of not expanding or further funding supervised consumption sites.

     

    References

    Alberta Health Services. (n.d.). Supervised Consumption Services. https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/info/Page15434.aspx

    Alberta Substance Use Surveillance System. Health Analytics Reporting Site. Health Analytics reporting site. (n.d.). https://healthanalytics.alberta.ca/health-analytics.html

    Government of Canada. Opioid- and stimulant-related harms.  (2023, September 28). https://health-infobase.canada.ca/substance-related-harms/opioids-stimulants/graphs?index=435

    Greene, C., Maier, K., & Urbanik, M.-M. (2023). “it’s just not the same”: Exploring PWUD’ perceptions of and experiences with drug policy and SCS services change in a Canadian city. International Journal of Drug Policy, 111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103934

    Hudes, S. (2019). Kenney and Notley spar over ‘opioid crisis’ as UCP announces health-care platform.Calgary Herald March 28. Retrieved from https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/kenney-and-notley-spar-over-opioid-crisis-as-ucp-announces-healthcare-platform.

    Khair, S., Eastwood, C. A., Lu, M., & Jackson, J. (2022). Supervised consumption site enables cost savings by avoiding emergency services: A cost analysis study. Harm Reduction Journal, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-022-00609-5

    Livingston, J. D. (2021). Supervised consumption sites and crime: Scrutinizing the methodological weaknesses and aberrant results of a government report in Alberta, Canada. Harm Reduction Journal, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-020-00456-2

    UCP AGM 2023 Policy And Governance Resolutions. https://united conservative.ca/wp-content/uploads/Resolutions2023.pdf

    Young, S., & Fairbairn, N. (2018). Expanding supervised injection facilities across Canada: Lessons from the Vancouver experience. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 109(2), 227–230. https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-018-0089-7

                                                                            [/et_pb_text][dmpro_button_grid _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/dmpro_button_grid][dmpro_image_hotspot _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/dmpro_image_hotspot][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|20px|0px|20px|false|false” border_color_left=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_testimonial author=”Posted by:” job_title=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3IiLCJzZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJiZWZvcmUiOiIiLCJhZnRlciI6IiIsIm5hbWVfZm9ybWF0IjoiZGlzcGxheV9uYW1lIiwibGluayI6Im9uIiwibGlua19kZXN0aW5hdGlvbiI6ImF1dGhvcl93ZWJzaXRlIn19@” portrait_url=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3JfcHJvZmlsZV9waWN0dXJlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnt9fQ==@” quote_icon=”off” portrait_width=”125px” portrait_height=”125px” disabled_on=”on|off|off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”job_title,portrait_url” _module_preset=”default” body_text_color=”#000000″ author_font=”||||||||” author_text_align=”center” author_text_color=”#008ac1″ position_font=”||||||||” position_text_color=”#000000″ company_text_color=”#000000″ background_color=”#ffffff” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”0px|0px|4px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”32px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_text disabled_on=”on|off|off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”content” _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_text_align=”left” header_text_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.65)” header_font_size=”20px” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”||50px|||” custom_padding=”48px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9jYXRlZ29yaWVzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiUmVsYXRlZCBjYXRlZ29yaWVzOiAgIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6ImNhdGVnb3J5In19@[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

                                                                          1. Community Matters (September 2023) — Food and Food Security

                                                                            [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_4,1_4″ use_custom_gutter=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” border_width_bottom=”1px” border_color_bottom=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_post_title meta=”off” featured_image=”off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”||||||||” custom_margin=”||3px|||” border_color_bottom=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_post_title][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://edmontonsocialplanning.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/COLOUR-BLOCKS_spaced-300×51.png” title_text=”COLOUR BLOCKS_spaced” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”100%” max_height=”75px” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”10px|0px|20px|0px|false|false” global_module=”96648″ global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_4,1_4″ use_custom_gutter=”on” make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%” custom_margin=”0px|auto|0px|auto|false|false” custom_padding=”30px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”content” _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_text_color=”#2b303a” custom_padding=”||32px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9kYXRlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJkYXRlX2Zvcm1hdCI6ImRlZmF1bHQiLCJjdXN0b21fZGF0ZV9mb3JtYXQiOiIifX0=@[/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=”https://edmontonsocialplanning.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/September-2023-Community-Matters.pdf” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”Download the September 2023 Community Matters (PDF)” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_bg_color=”#008ac1″ custom_margin=”||19px|||” custom_padding=”||5px|||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_button][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ text_text_color=”#2b303a” text_line_height=”1.6em” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_text_color=”#008ac1″ header_2_font_size=”24px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”justified” width=”100%” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”25px||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]

                                                                            Welcome to the Fall Edition of our quarterly publication, Community Matters.

                                                                            Community Matters aims to inform the community about social issues that impact citizens and connect the dots between social issues, evidence, and policy. We aim to use this space to give local agencies, ESPC volunteer writers, and staff members a voice.

                                                                            Each edition will spotlight a specific social issue and demonstrate the intersectional nature and impact on equality. Our goal is to use evidence as we continue to inform on the issues affecting individuals and families.

                                                                            For our Fall 2023 issue, we are focusing on Food and Food Security. Food is one of the basic necessities of life – we all need it to stay alive and maintain a healthy lifestyle. In addition to physical health, the act of preparing and cooking food is a boost to one’s own mental health by increasing confidence, concentration, and happiness. Beyond that, food is also intertwined with culture and community. It is a way of expressing one’s culture and sharing it with others through familiar foods. Newcomer populations often stay connected to their culture by preparing and eating the foods they are accustomed to.

                                                                            Nevertheless, our community faces great challenges when it comes to food. Food insecurity is rising across Canada, which is being felt acutely within Edmonton. Food banks in Edmonton and other communities across Alberta have all been seeing dramatic increases in food bank visits, as well as challenges in keeping up with the supply needed to serve their clients. Food banks were originally established to be a temporary measure to meet emergency needs, but the demand has not let up in the subsequent years.

                                                                            This issue seeks to bring the reader up to speed on the situation we as a society are facing, and explores a number of policy options to address rising levels of food insecurity. Inside you will find explorations of school nutrition programs, food access among prison populations, the importance of adequate incomes, the role of community gardens, diet and food security amongst university students as well as dignified food access among newcomer populations.
                                                                            We hope this issue will help guide conversations around food security and the solutions necessary to tackle this social problem.

                                                                            Susan Morrissey
                                                                            Executive Director

                                                                            [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|20px|0px|20px|false|false” border_color_left=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_testimonial author=”Posted by:” job_title=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3IiLCJzZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJiZWZvcmUiOiIiLCJhZnRlciI6IiIsIm5hbWVfZm9ybWF0IjoiZGlzcGxheV9uYW1lIiwibGluayI6Im9uIiwibGlua19kZXN0aW5hdGlvbiI6ImF1dGhvcl93ZWJzaXRlIn19@” quote_icon=”off” portrait_width=”125px” portrait_height=”125px” disabled_on=”on|off|off” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _dynamic_attributes=”job_title” _module_preset=”default” body_text_color=”#000000″ author_font=”||||||||” author_text_align=”center” author_text_color=”#008ac1″ position_font=”||||||||” position_text_color=”#000000″ company_text_color=”#000000″ background_color=”#ffffff” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”0px|0px|4px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”32px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_text disabled_on=”on|off|off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”content” _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_text_align=”left” header_text_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.65)” header_font_size=”20px” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”||50px|||” custom_padding=”48px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9jYXRlZ29yaWVzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiUmVsYXRlZCBjYXRlZ29yaWVzOiAgIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6ImNhdGVnb3J5In19@[/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”][3d-flip-book mode=”thumbnail-lightbox” id=”259266″][/3d-flip-book]

                                                                            Community Matters – September 2023 (Click on image)

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