Edmonton Social Planning Council

Category: ESPC in the News

  • Op-Ed: All parties must be prepared to compromise to prioritize human-rights approach to affordable housing (July 9, 2020)

    Op-Ed: All parties must be prepared to compromise to prioritize human-rights approach to affordable housing (July 9, 2020)

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    Note: This op-ed was originally published in the Edmonton Journal on July 9, 2020.

    by Sandra Ngo and Brett Lambert

    We’ve seen the headlines before: vocal members of the community expressing their opposition to a proposed affording housing development.

    Stories of home owners’ associations taking developers to court, protests organized, and heated discussions at city council hearings are all commonplace occurrences during the public engagement process.

    Recently, Edmonton City Council voted in favour of selling four parcels of land to Homeward Trust to build permanent supportive housing, which are located in Terrace Heights, King Edward Park, McArthur Industrial, and Inglewood. These sites will build a total of 150 units, which represent a portion of the 900 housing units the city needs to build by 2024 as part of their goal to end chronic homelessness.

    Permanent supportive housing is a type of continuous care that combines subsidized housing with support services. These services can run the gamut, from innocuous programs such as community support groups and child care, to full-time, in-house registered nurses and psychologists. These investments are lauded for saving taxpayer money by reducing pressure on health and emergency services, the justice system, and reducing social disorder.

    Despite these tangible benefits, some concerns over neighbourhood safety have been expressed. Does it always have to be this way? We don’t think so. The Edmonton Social Planning Council recently published a report, Public Engagement on Affordable Housing in Edmonton, which explores best practices for how a robust public engagement strategy can address these concerns and offers a number of recommendations to community league members, city administration, and affordable housing developers.

    Good public engagement helps to find common ground between groups which may have different interests and leads to a development that is better integrated with the neighbourhood while benefiting the vulnerable populations who will be housed in these units in the long-term.

    The key to a successful public engagement process is to start early and be transparent about the use of public input. Early and ongoing engagement allows for a dialogue to be created, and facilitates a deeper understanding of affordable housing within a community. This makes for more meaningful negotiations, where developers are able to gather feedback and reflect it back to the community, who in turn reciprocate the process.

    The notion of feeling heard early on builds trusting relationships, dispels misunderstandings, and the lack of delay reduces discord among the community. Here the engagement process becomes meaningful and is not simply a formality.

    Incorporating a human rights approach in the public engagement process is also a crucial component in increasing support for affordable housing. By framing the conversation around someone’s right to have adequate housing, the average person can recognize the role they play in helping marginalized populations and confronting stereotypes and prejudice against impoverished communities. Public engagement based on this premise can bust myths related to crime, safety, housing prices, and overcrowding.

    Innovating the public engagement process is another way to bring about a successful outcome. Each neighbourhood has a different dynamic, with preferences varying widely according to the community. A non-traditional engagement format can include walking tours of successful affordable housing developments. These neighbourhood walkthroughs were cited as effective tools for increasing understanding and acceptance of developments and allowed for innovative ways of hearing community feedback.

    When it comes to the planning process of an affordable housing development, change can be an inherently uncomfortable process and concerns from community members need to be addressed in order to move forward for a mutually beneficial result. All parties must be prepared to compromise while prioritizing a human rights-based approach whereby the most vulnerable are afforded their right to safe and adequate housing.

    The four permanent supportive housing developments represent an important step forward for ending homelessness in Edmonton. They help people who have complex needs stay safe, healthy, and build community. As the next steps are undertaken, we hope that the best practices as outlined in our report will help facilitate a robust public engagement process resulting in housing stability for those who need it most.

    Sandra Ngo is Research Coordinator of the Edmonton Social Planning Council.

    Brett Lambert is Community Engagement Coordinator of the Edmonton Social Planning Council.

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  • Alberta Child Poverty Report – Edmonton Journal Op-Ed

    Alberta Child Poverty Report – Edmonton Journal Op-Ed

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    https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-ending-child-poverty-in-alberta-is-our-moral-obligation

    Alberta Child Poverty Report Edmonton Journal Op-Ed

    By Joel French, Sandra Ngo, and Ajay Hartenfeld Pandhi

    Every night, 160,000 children in Alberta suffer the all-encompassing effects of poverty. They are more vulnerable to issues affecting mental health, educational attainment, cognitive development, housing, relationships, employment, and food insecurity throughout their lives. In a province as wealthy as Alberta, it is an outrage for child poverty to persist.

    The Alberta College of Social Workers, Edmonton Social Planning Council, and Public Interest Alberta have recently released a new report on the state of child and family poverty in Alberta, “Invest in Families: Ending Child Poverty is Good for All.” Currently, one in six children live in poverty. While some, small progress has been made, poverty rates among children in single-parent households has actually seen an increase.

    Children who grow up in low-income situations are more likely to remain in low income status into adulthood. Children living with a single parent are five times more likely to live in low-income households. Immigrant and Indigenous children are especially vulnerable. Furthermore, children who experience trauma, such as family violence, encounter poorer outcomes across all the factors of health.

    Child poverty is especially persistent among Indigenous children. Nationwide, 47 per cent of First Nations children live in poverty while the rate of poverty for non-Indigenous children sits at 12 per cent. Due to this disparity, Indigenous children have higher rates of contact with child intervention services in Alberta. Sixty-nine per cent of children in government care are Indigenous, which has been on the rise. Due to a long history of discrimination, Indigenous children are more likely to be affected by trauma and mental health issues, low high school completion rates, unemployment, and homelessness. Ending child poverty is essential for reconciliation with Indigenous peoples for generations of harm.

    What can we do to end child poverty once and for all in Alberta? The research shows that strong investments into Alberta’s families, including child benefits, nutrition programs, affordable housing, and subsidized, quality child care, are key to ending the cycle of poverty that block children from living lives of dignity where they’re able to thrive. To aid in reconciliation efforts, culturally responsive solutions that provide Indigenous governing bodies with oversight for the education and welfare of children on reserves is a necessity.

    Child care is one of the biggest household expenses, which can be up to two-thirds of a low-income family’s monthly income. Access to high-quality, universally accessible, and affordable child care is a proven method for lowering child poverty and is an especially profound intervention for single mothers, who are among the most affected by poverty. Studies show that children in universal, low-cost child care have better physical health, developmental, and psychological conditions by age six. The $25-a-day child care program is under threat by our provincial government’s sweeping and cruel cuts to social programs. This is precisely the wrong direction for Alberta to solve the crisis in child and family poverty.

    Investing in affordable housing is a necessity to prevent and combat child poverty. While multiple levels of government have created housing strategies to address homelessness and poverty, uncertainty persists on the province’s commitment to their share of affordable housing initiatives after the UCP took power. With a 24 percent cut to the Rental Assistance Program, the risk of eviction to low-income families and children will increase as a result.

    What is sorely missing in the discussion surrounding the provincial government’s relentless “path to balance” is that even maintaining the status quo levels of social assistance would not be enough; yet the government has chosen to cut indexing of these supports, making life even harder for those in poverty. And if we are serious about ending child poverty, it is abundantly clear that vital public services Albertans rely on need to be strengthened, not cut. Cuts to public services hurt the most vulnerable in our province.

    Our tax system raises significantly less revenue than any other province. As a result of this shortfall, our services are stretched thin and progress in tackling child poverty will continue to be stymied until significant revenue reform occurs. Alberta also remains the only province in Canada without a poverty reduction strategy, meaning we are sorely behind in setting measurable goals and tracking progress in these efforts. Without a robust strategy backed up with action, young Albertans trapped in poverty will only fall further behind.

    We have a moral obligation to end child poverty in our province, and the result would be a more healthy and compassionate society for all of us.

    Joel French is Executive Director of Public Interest Alberta.

    Sandra Ngo is Research Coordinator of the Edmonton Social Planning Council.

    Ajay Hartenfeld Pandhi is President of the Alberta College of Social Workers.

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  • John Kolkman on CBC Edmonton AM with Mark Connolly and Tara McCarthy

    John Kolkman on CBC Edmonton AM with Mark Connolly and Tara McCarthy

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    Funding to help people find affordable housing has been cut 24 per cent by the province. We’ll take a look at what that means for low income Albertans trying to find housing.

    Click here to listen to John Kolkman on CBC Edmonton AM with Mark Connolly and Tara McCarthy.

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    * Please note that we are not a government department or direct service provider. We do not provide individuals with information about social benefit programs (i.e. AISH, workers compensation benefits, etc.). If you have questions about these services, please dial 211 or access online by clicking here. For assistance with provincial programs, Alberta Supports can help you access more than 30 programs and 120 community services https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-supports.aspx.

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    Edmonton Social Planning Council
    10544 – 106 Street NW, Suite 200 (Bassini Building)
    Edmonton, Alberta T5H 2X6
    780-423-2031.

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  • Opinion: Budget is a setback for lower-income Albertans

    Opinion: Budget is a setback for lower-income Albertans

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    Read the full version here: https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-budget-is-a-setback-for-lower-income-albertans

    Download the Fact Sheet here: 2019 Alberta Budget fACTsheet

    Excerpt from the Edmonton Journal:

    With the UCP tabling their first budget, there is a lot of talk of what this means. Depending on who you ask, this budget is either an attempt to get Alberta’s fiscal house in order or a ruthless act of austerity.

    The Edmonton Social Planning Council took a deep dive and produced a fact sheet to inform the public on what this latest budget means for social services and what some of the most vulnerable Albertans living in poverty can expect from our provincial government.

    First, the good news. It is heartening to see the Government of Alberta continue to support investments in affordable public transportation with $9.5 million per year in funding for a low-income transit pass. In 2018, this pass was purchased by over 100,000 Albertans in Edmonton and Calgary, many of whom reported better access to education, jobs, and other opportunities. Staying the course will improve the quality of life for low-income Albertans and enable their further economic and social participation.

    For school-age children, a 20-per-cent funding increase to the existing school nutrition program is welcome. Research has shown that students enrolled in schools with a universal breakfast program had fewer discipline problems, better attendance, and improved psychosocial well-being. Investing in our children’s welfare is simply the right thing to do and strengthens our communities.

    Also commendable is the additional funding going toward a mental health and addiction strategy, an opioid response, palliative care, and a new sexual assault hotline. This shows a commitment to support the most vulnerable and we applaud that.

    Nevertheless, there are a number of other areas in the budget that are deeply concerning and could threaten to set people back, especially after all the progress that has been made in alleviating poverty over the past few years.

    The Alberta Child Benefit and the Alberta Family Employment Tax Credit, two programs designed to support lower- and middle-income working families, have shown themselves to be important tools for poverty reduction. However, they will now be rolled into a single program, the Alberta Child and Family Benefit, starting in July 2020.

    While benefits for the lowest-income families will increase by 15 per cent, the benefit will be phased out more quickly as incomes rise. As a result, $40 million less will be delivered to Alberta families. While it’s encouraging to see the lowest incomes receive more supports, it still leaves out many other working families in need and struggling to make ends meet.

    We are alarmed to see a 24-per-cent reduction in the Rental Assistance Program. These programs help households find affordable rental accommodations by providing rent subsidies in eligible rental projects. According to the 2016 census, more than 164,000 households in Alberta are living in unsafe, crowded, and unaffordable housing. Approximately 6,000 households in Edmonton alone are currently on the Capital Region Housing rent-subsidy program wait list, many of whom have been waiting for years.

    Finally, the de-indexing of Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH), the Alberta Seniors Benefit, Income Support, and Special Needs Assistance programs from the consumer price index (CPI) is perhaps cause for the greatest concern.

    While current levels for these income assistance programs remain the same, the fact that they will not increase with the rising cost of living places many of our most vulnerable citizens with the burden of having to choose between purchasing nutritious food or heating their homes.

    Despite additional investments in some key areas, the overall impact of the budget puts many low- and modest-income Albertans at greater risk. The four-year strategy outlined in the budget fails to account for either inflation or population growth.

    This means that Albertans will face real and growing cuts to health, education, and social programs. As was pointed out in their fiscal plan, households and businesses would pay at least $13.4 billion more in taxes if Alberta had the same tax system as any other province. There is ample room to address this revenue shortfall without sacrificing the vital services on which Albertans rely.

    We are hopeful that finding common ground and working towards a prosperous future for all will result in the desired outcomes that benefit all Albertans.

    Susan Morrissey is executive director of the Edmonton Social Planning Council.

     

     

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  • CBC News – Living wage in Edmonton is going up but that isn’t good

    Radio Active with Adrienne Pan

    Interview with Sandra Ngo, Edmonton Social Planning Council.

    Click here to listen to the interview

     

  • More Alberta families worked part-time, or part year, as the province’s oil economy took a downturn, Statistics Canada study shows

     By Catherine GriwkowskyStarMetro Edmonton

    Thu., May 17, 2018

    Original Article – click here

    EDMONTON—Pipeline inspector and project manager turned stay-at-home dad Chad Miller is pinning his family’s future on the approval of the Kinder Morgan pipeline as he searches for work to pay off debt.

    “I’ve got more qualifications than I know what to do with and I can’t even get a damn job to save my soul,” Miller said.

    Miller is not alone in his struggle to support his family and rejoin the workforce full time after a downturn in the Alberta oil economy cost him work.

    A recent Statistics Canada study shows nationally the number of couples who were working part-year or part-time in 2015 was up to 18 per cent from 14 per cent in 2005.

    Part-time workers increased

    Meanwhile the proportion of families with one parent working for the full year, full-time with one partner working part time dropped to 30 per cent in 2015 from 34 per cent in 2005. The trend was driven by a downturn in the manufacturing sectors in central Canada and the downturn in oil, Bernard said.

    The study’s author Andre Bernard, with Statistics Canada, said parental leave policies, child care, differences in labour market conditions and earnings accounted for regional differences.

    “If both parents are reporting not working, or working part-time, these are families that would be more vulnerable to low income,” Bernard said.

    Only 19 per cent of families where the youngest child was under six years old in Alberta had both parents working full-year, full-time in 2015, similar to the 20.4 per cent in 2005.

    For families with children aged 6 to 17, the number of two-income earner families in Alberta dropped to 31.7 in 2015 from 36.9 per cent in 2005.

    Single-income earners

    The average median income in full-time, single-earner families in the province was $94,000 annually, the highest in Canada. That is compared to the median income of $108,600 in Prince Edward Island where both parents worked a full year, full-time. With single-earner incomes near that of families with two parents working, some Alberta families may opt to have only one parent work, said researcher John Kolkman.

    Kolkman, research associate with the Edmonton Social Planning Council, said the census data shows two very different points in Alberta’s economies. In 2005, Alberta was experiencing a boom while in 2015 the province was in recession, which may account for the differences.

    “Where one parent works in a pretty highly-paid position, therefore it is more feasible for the other parent not to be working rather than working full-time, so that probably is a factor,” Kolkman said.

    Bernard said in Alberta specifically, men are the large majority of single-income earners in families.

    Boom and bust

    And it is those men, Bernard said, that likely make up the bulk of the increase in parttime, part-year workers due to a downturn in the manufacturing sector in central Canada and the oil industry in Alberta.

    In Miller’s 20 years of working in the oilfield sector, taking jobs from Fort St. John, B.C., to Cuba, Miller had seen a few recessions. After the 2008 recession, Miller ensured he had a year’s worth of income saved up.

    It wasn’t enough.

    As a project manager, Miller could make up to $1,000 a day and worked 338 days in 2014. Last year, he worked 90 days for far less, sometimes $500 per day.

    Miller said he had to give back his truck. He’s missing bill payments.

    Kolkman said in the downturn there weren’t just layoffs, but reductions in hours as well. These reductions in the oil industry had spillover effects in other areas of the economy.

    “People cut back on eating out for example,” Kolkman said. “If you have less disposable income, that affects the hospitality industry. Certainly if you look at rural Alberta, and even in the urban centres, the energy industry supports a lot of these smaller towns in terms of eating and drinking establishments, in terms of hotels and motels.”

    Male single earners

    Bernard said men account for the majority of single-earners in households.

    When times were good, Miller built his wife a salon in the family’s basement so she could give haircuts to clients for extra spending money, but he was the main earner.

    Then work for the self-employed contractor dried up, and Miller’s wife had to pick up more work. She is now a full-time instructor in Red Deer, teaching at a hair academy.

    His wife’s income puts food on the table, but doesn’t cover the bills, Miller said. Worries over money and finding work has put a strain on his relationship.

    Hope for recovery

    As he waits for work, he looks after his kids, a 14-year-old daughter, 9-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter.

    “My wife, she tells me, we’re never going to have another kid because every time we have another kid, a recession comes,” Miller said.

    During the recession, Miller felt isolated and depressed because he felt like no one wanted to hear the negativity of what he was going through. He stopped answering the phone because the only calls he got were from bill collectors.

    After founding the Oilfield Dads Facebook group, Miller has found hope and camaraderie.

    He sees optimism when his fellow oilfield dads find work, and on days when he doesn’t see a point in getting out of bed, the group has shown him he’s not alone.

    These days, he tells his wife things are getting better — after all, she has a full-time job, they are close to paying off the family’s Jeep and soon they will be able to refinance their mortgage.

    “We’ve got to do what we’ve got to do to keep going,” Miller said, “and that’s the reality of most Albertans now.”

    Catherine Griwkowsky is an Edmonton-based reporter. To contact her call 780-702-0592 extension 333, email cgriwkowsky@torstar.ca, or follow her on Twitter @CGriwkowsky.