Edmonton Social Planning Council

Category: **Resources: Social Issues:

  • Community Matters September 2024: Disability: And A Look At Inclusive Communities

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    Welcome to the fall edition of our quarterly publication, Community Matters.

    The aim of Community Matters is to inform the community about social issues that impact people who live in our community. The information contained allows readers to increase their knowledge, and to connect the dots between social issues, evidence and policy. In Community Matters, we give space to local agencies, ESPC staff and volunteer writers or professionals in the field to share their knowledge and voices.

    Each edition will spotlight a specific social issue or topic and highlight its intersectional nature and impact on equality. Articles are written by people with specialized knowledge, research skills or lived experience using evidence to provide clear information and inform on the issues affecting individuals and families.

    For our September 2024 issue, we are focusing on different experiences surrounding people with disabilities and a look at how to create a more inclusive community. Reproductive rights, the treatment of people with disabilities, government benefit programs, hiring practices and universal design are a few of the topics covered in this edition. Disability encompasses a broad spectrum of physical and mental disabilities, and addressing relevant issues, progress and innovations that appropriately reflect this spectrum would require much more space than we have here. The topics covered reflect an availability of authors from our organization, other organizations or volunteers who have graciously set aside time and used their expertise to complete research on each topic and to communicate the basics of what you need to know, so that readers such as yourselves can leave reading this publication with the beginning steps of being informed.

    We hope you find this issue to be an enlightening read and that it contributes positively to the discourse surrounding people with disabilities in our community in Edmonton.

    Janell Uden, Research Services and Capacity Building Coordinator

    Edmonton Social Planning Council

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  • fACT Sheet: The True Impact of Immigration on Housing and Employment

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    Introduction 

    In the past few months, more and more attention has been given to immigration and its purported effects on local economies. In September of 2022, 5% of Canadians rated immigration as one of the top 3 issues facing Canada, in September of 2024, 21% did, a four-fold increase (Angus Reid Institute, 2024a). As this issue has gained more prominence in the public eye, misinformation has flourished, with immigrants being blamed for many social and economic issues. The purpose of this fACT sheet is to dispel a lot of the misinformation surrounding immigration to Canada and its effects on jobs, employment, and housing.

    Immigrants are an essential part of Edmonton’s fabric. According to the 2021 Census of Canada, almost one-third (32.6%) of people living in the city of Edmonton were immigrants (Statistics Canada, 2023a). Aside from Indigenous Peoples, everyone living in Canada is a descendant of immigrants. Conversations surrounding immigration often boil down to an “us” versus “them” mentality – “they” are coming into “our” country and destroying “our” labour and housing markets. We need to recognize that immigrants are not outsiders, but part of what makes our communities vibrant. As this fACT sheet will illustrate, many of these issues are really the fault of government policy and systemic inequities.

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  • A profile of poverty in Edmonton: September 2024

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    Introduction

    This report presents a snapshot of what poverty looks like in Edmonton in 2024. When thinking about poverty, our minds tend to jump to the most extreme cases – such as those experiencing homelessness. This report aims to shed light on those living in the “middle” – the working poor, those on the cusp of poverty, and those experiencing certain indicators of poverty while still living above the poverty line. Too often, these populations are ignored, and as such their situation remains hidden and largely unaddressed.

    A rising cost of living; proliferation of low paying, unstable jobs; limited government support; and lack of access to quality education and childcare constrain people’s choices and create the conditions that trap people in poverty. Today, too many Edmontonians struggle to meet their basic needs and are forced to make tough decisions to get by each month. In this social and economic environment, it is increasingly difficult to access the things one needs to “get ahead.” Poverty is more than a simple lack of material resources, living in poverty limits one’s ability to participate in their community and live a dignified life.

    The neighbour who works full-time yet still pays over 30% of their income on rent, the friend who wants to go back to school to get a better job but does not have the time or the money, or the sibling who stays home because they cannot access childcare may not be the first people to jump into one’s mind when picturing “poverty,” but they are nonetheless deeply impacted by it. This report aims to unpack some of the nuances surrounding poverty in Edmonton and illustrate how poverty impacts people’s lives in complicated and interconnected ways.

    This project seeks to answer the following questions:

    1. What does a dignified life look like in Edmonton? We aim to identify the things that give our lives meaning and are integral to well-being. This includes relationships and belonging, mental health, and sense of meaning.
    2. What does it cost to have this life? This section will dive into cost of living indicators including housing, energy, healthy and culturally relevant food, transportation, health, recreation, clothing, and personal care.
    3. What is needed to afford this life? This section will investigate indicators such as employment rates, quality of employment, incomes, and government supports, and whether or not these are sufficient to cover one’s basic needs.
    4. What supports this life? This section investigates the larger systems that can enhance or impede the ability to get a good job, afford one’s needs, and live a dignified life. This includes access to education and childcare.

    Throughout this report, the answers to these questions will be illustrated through “scenarios” we have created to bring these numbers to life. The people and families highlighted may be made up, but they represent the real struggles Edmonton families are going through.

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  • PUF project

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    Program Unit Funding (PUF) is provided to school authorities/private operators for children with a severe disability or language delay who need more support than is offered in a regular early childhood services (ECS) program (Government of Alberta, 2023). Schools/operators apply for funding on the parent’s behalf which differs on age and years of eligibility dependent on if a child attends a public or private program. In a public program, funding is available for a maximum of two years between the ages of 2 years, 8 months to 4 years, 8 months during pre-kindergarten years. In private programs, funding is available for a maximum of three years between 2 years, 8 months to 6 years during pre-kindergarten and the kindergarten year. The intention of PUF is to help prepare children with disabilities for a successful transition into their kindergarten/elementary years. PUF requirements as described above is how the program is today in terms of eligible ages and time frames schools/operators can receive funding for children. However, it was not always this way.

    In 2020, Alberta Education implemented a new funding model that changed these eligible ages and time frames for which children could receive funding, reduced base funding for some types of disability codes and changed how enrolment for funding purposes is calculated by introducing a weighted moving average projection (WMA). Before this, to calculate funding an actual student count was used, and funding was provided the same school year. However, under the new WMA funding, it projects enrolment based on 50% of the year ahead, 30% of the current enrolment at the budget time in February and then the previous year’s enrolment at 20% (Teghtmeyer, 2020). In 2020, the Alberta Teachers Association’s President Jason Schilling, stated that “the government is downplaying the effect of [the PUF cut], but teachers know that these kids benefit greatly from early interventions that will no longer be there. This cut is simply immoral” (Teghtmeyer, 2020). Several other changes occurred in 2020, one of which was the elimination of funding for the program for children entering kindergarten in public schools. For private ECS operators and schools, children can still access the third year of funding that must be used during the kindergarten year.

    Another change in 2020 was that Alberta Health Services would no longer provide families with assessments, forcing families or childhood care/school operators to pay for private assessments. This change occurred due to the Alberta Government dissolving the Regional Collaborative Service Delivery (RCSD) which coordinated services between the departments of Education, Health, Children’s Services, and Community and Social Services. This had a significant impact that further strained the limited resources available to children, often requiring specialists to divert time, previously spent working directly with children, toward the significant task of assessment and additional report preparation. Other changes, such as coding criteria, funding amounts, and eligible supports will be discussed later in this report.

    [/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_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

  • ESPC Statement on Provincial Cuts to the Low-Income Transit Pass

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    [/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@” 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]

  • ESPC in the news: Child poverty rates dipped in the pandemic lockdowns. What are they like now?

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    On February 27, 2024, Sydney Sheloff, our Strategic Research Coordinator, told Radio Active that the dip in child poverty rates didn’t last.

    [/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=”https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-52-radio-active/clip/16045970-child-poverty-rates-dipped-pandemic-lockdowns.-what-now” button_text=”Listen to the segment” _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#FFFFFF” button_bg_color=”#008AC1″ background_layout=”dark” hover_enabled=”0″ box_shadow_style=”preset4″ box_shadow_horizontal=”3px” box_shadow_vertical=”3px” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_button][/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]