Category: Social Issues: Poverty

The Edmonton Poverty Elimination Initiative is a city-wide effort involving individuals an organizations from a broad range of sectors that share a vision of ending poverty in Edmonton. Led by a Steering Committee, they drafted, “Unleashing our Potential: Eliminating Poverty in Edmonton” in June 2012, a preliminary framework that laid out the Initiative’s foundational approach and intended as a tool for engaging Edmontonians in a poverty dialogue. This document proposed to shift the poverty dialogue and action beyond charity and the alleviation of poverty through an approach based on resilience, investment and engagement.

This dialogue began with Edmontonians, especially those living in poverty, to participate in identifying solutions to poverty. From September to December 2013, a series of focused conversations were held with various groups and organizations. This report is a documentation of experiences of poverty that people shared in these conversations, their perceptions and insights of what causes poverty and their ideas on solutions to poverty. More importantly, their hopes and aspirations for better quality of life in the city.

F. SOCIAL ISSUES/F.04 POVERTY/Engaging_Edmontonians_to_Thrive_and_Prosper_Report_Final_Report.pdf

The Edmonton Social Planning Council, Public Interest Alberta, and the Alberta College of Social Workers present Alberta’s 2013 child poverty report card, which shows that despite an improving economy, in 2011 there were 84,000 children in Alberta (29,800 of whom were under the age of 6) living below the low-income measure (LIM After Tax).

This year’s report suggests reforms that would facilitate additional provincial investment in ending child poverty, and outlines the associated investment values. Other poverty indicators and suggestions for alleviating poverty are also included.

F. SOCIAL ISSUES/F.04 POVERTY/From_Words_to_Action_Report_2013_FINALv2.pdf

Title:Government of Alberta Children’s Charter public consultation: focus group summary notes : Boyle Street Community Services.
Corporate Author: Edmonton Social Planning Council
Subject:Poverty – planning, policy|split|Poverty – specified groups
Publisher:Edmonton Social Planning Council
Place of Publication:Edmonton
Date of Publication:2013
Abstract:

This is a summary of a discussion with Boyle Street Community Services staff about how poverty affects their community and what can be done by community groups, individuals, and governments to prevent and reduce poverty in Alberta. This information is being used to shape the Government of Alberta’s Children’s Charter.

Language:English
Material Type:Report

F. SOCIAL ISSUES/F.04 POVERTY/2013 Boyle-Street-Community-Services-16-09-2013.pdf

Title:A community discussion on poverty 2012: examining poverty in Canmore and the Bow Valley with recommendations.
Author(s):Krausert, Sean D.
Corporate Author: Global WE Initiatives
Canmore
St. Michael’s Anglican Church
Subject:Poverty – child poverty|split|Poverty – income distribution|split|Poverty – planning, policy|split|Poverty – programs, services|split|Poverty – statistics|split|Poverty – working poor
Publisher:Global WE Initiatives
Canmore
St. Michael’s Anglican Church
Place of Publication:Canmore AB
Date of Publication:2013
Abstract:

This report contains the results from community discussions on poverty in the Canmore and Bow Valley Area that took place on May 14th and October 15th, 2012. Participants were asked to identify significant root causes of poverty in the area and to make recommendations to address this major social problem in their community.

Language:English
Material Type:Report

F. SOCIAL ISSUES/F.04 POVERTY/2013 Community-Discussion-on-Poverty.pdf

 

Title:The dignity project: debunking myths about poverty in Canada.
Corporate Author: The Salvation Army
Subject:Poverty – general
Publisher:The Salvation Army
Place of Publication:Toronto
Date of Publication:2011
Abstract:

The Salvation Army believes that human dignity is a fundamental right for all. The Salvation Army has launched The Dignity Project to engage Canadians about the reality of poverty in the 21st century. This report that finds many Canadians continue to believe persistent myths about poverty and the poor. The study, based on research conducted by Angus Reid Public Opinion, is designed to educate and inform the public about the challenges facing society’s most vulnerable people.

Language:English
Material Type:Report

F. SOCIAL ISSUES/F.04 POVERTY/2011 dignity_project.pdf

 

Title:The cost of poverty in BC
Author(s):Ivanova, Iglika
Subject:Poverty – general
Publisher:Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, BC office
Public Health Association of BC
SPARC BC
Place of Publication:Vancouver
Date of Publication:2011
Abstract:

Living in poverty is hard. Poverty means hunger and inadequate nutrition. It means substandard and unsafe housing, or no housing at all. It means impossible choices, like whether to pay the rent or feed the kids. It means stress and social isolation. And it takes an enormous toll on the people who experience it.
On this basis alone, most British Columbians believe that our provincial government should take action to dramatically reduce and eventually eliminate poverty. And they are right. But governments often balk at the price tag associated with poverty reduction policies like investing in new social housing, increasing welfare, or implementing universal access to child care. What governments often fail to consider, however, is the large amount of resources that we spend, year after year, paying for the consequences of poverty.
This study finds that the costs of inaction are so large that they far exceed the costs of poverty reduction. Poverty is consistently linked to poor health, lower literacy, poor school performance for children, more crime, and greater stress for family members. It is society as a whole that bears the costs of poverty, through higher public health care costs, increased policing and crime costs, lost productivity, and foregone economic activity. This study quantifies these economic costs.
The bottom line is that poverty in BC represents a direct cost to government alone of $2.2 to $2.3 billion annually, or close to 6 per cent of the provincial budget. The cost to society overall is considerably higher — $8.1 to $9.2 billion, or between 4.1 per cent and 4.7 per cent of BC’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product, or the size of our economy). That is as much as $2,100 for every man, woman and child in BC, or $8,400 for a family of four, every year. In contrast, the estimated cost of a comprehensive poverty reduction plan in BC is $3 to $4 billion per year.

Language:English
Material Type:Report

F. SOCIAL ISSUES/F.04 POVERTY/2011 cost_of_poverty_bc.pdf