poverty in calgary – A Four Part Series1t is Poverty? ) Wha (2y Does Poverty Exist? ) Wh (3) Who is Affected by Poverty? (4) How is Poverty Reduced? poverty in calgary – A Four

S P R I N G 2 0 1 2

(1) What is Poverty?

(2) Why Does Poverty Exist?

(3) WhoisAffectedbyPoverty?

(4) How is Poverty Reduced?

poverty incalgary – A Four Part Series

Thisisthefourthbookletinaseriesthat aims to provide a glimpseinto the complexities around whatpovertyis,whyitexists,whoitaffects,and how it can be reduced. Thisserieswasresearchedandauthoredcollaboratively by United Way ofCalgaryandArea,TheCityofCalgary,and Vibrant Communities Calgary.

FrontCover,InsideFrontCover,andBackCoverPhotoCredit:MingEmmaKo

1 in 10 Calgarians

livein povertyNearly

400,000 Albertans

livein poverty

addressingrootcauses?communityengagement?comprehensivestrategies?combatingdiscriminationandexclusion?astrongsocialsafetynet?you?

1 in 10 Calgarians

livein povertyNearly

400,000 Albertans

livein poverty

Throughboomsandbusts,povertyhaspersistedinCalgary.Let’s change that.

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how ispovertyreduced

poverty exists becuase...poverty is reduced by...addressingroot causes

Solving poverty isn’t like baking a cake, whichcan be done by following a sequence of steps.Solvingpovertyisn’tlikeflyingtothemoon,whichrequires a complicated plan. Solving poverty ismorelikeraisingachild:therearemanychangingfactorstorespondtoalongtheway.

Poverty is also similar to the complex taskof raisingachild in that ‘it takesavillage’ toreducepoverty–itrequiresmanypeoplewithdifferent roles to play, all coordinating theireffortssothattheycanachievethesamegoal.We need individuals, communities, systemsandinstitutionstocreateanenvironmentthatremovesbarriersandsupportsall individualsto develop strong assets and, by extension,resilience to poverty. In many provincesand cities in Canada, this is being addressedthrough provincial and municipal povertyreductionstrategies.

Solutions to poverty require a spectrum ofinterventionsforpeoplewithdifferentneeds,differentlives,anddifferentexperiences,allofwhichare influencedby thechangingnatureofourcommunities.Poverty is complex,andcomplexproblemsrequirecomplexsolutions.

Mostimportantly,poverty canbesignificantlyreduced.

4

comprehensivestrategies

5

A promising direction for reducing poverty isbringing together a wide-range of communityorganizations, government representatives, indi-viduals and businesses to address the complexproblemofpoverty.1

In 2012, The City of Calgary partnered withUnited Way of Calgary and Area to develop amunicipalpovertyreductionstrategythatinvolvesparticipation from all sectors of the community.This is a critical opportunity for people living inpoverty, community and business leaders, andmunicipal administration to come together tosignificantlyreducepovertyinCalgary.

Anexampleofsuccessforthiskindofinitiativeisthe Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reductionformedin2005totackletheCity’sunacceptablelevels of poverty. Roundtable members comefrom across Hamilton and include leadersfrom the business and non-profit sectors, fromgovernment,educationandfaithcommunitiesaswellasindividualswhoexperiencepovertydaily.

poverty is reduced by...comprehensive

strategies

fastFActSTheHamiltonPovertyReductionRoundtable’svisionistomakeHamiltonthebestplacetoraiseachild.Theireffortshaveresultedin:

• 6000 fewer citizens living below thelow income cut-off at a time whenother communities experienced anincrease;2

• organizations and sectors becomingmore effective in delivering servicestolow-incomeresidentsas a result of collaborativeplanning;2

• influencingthecreationofaprovincial povertyreductionstrategyinOntario.2

poverty exists becuase...

Calgary’s Low-Income Monthly Transit Pass provides a positiveexample ofmunicipal government taking a role in strengtheningthesocialsafetynetbyprovidinglower-costaccesstotransit.Thisinitiativealonewon’tendpoverty,butwhenmeasuressuchasthismultiplytheycanhaveasignificantimpactonreducingpoverty.

fastFActIn 2010, 97,089 low-income monthly transit passes were purchased, providingthoseriderswith a 57% discount off theadultmonthlypass.4

6

Inordertomakelong-termchange,systems-suchasgovernment,justice,andtheeconomy-andinstitutions-suchaseducational institutionsandcorporations -mustcreate the foundationsofa strongsocial safetynet,whichbothprotectspeoplefromfallingintopovertyandprovidesaspringboardoutofpoverty.Coreelements3 thatmustbesupportedbysystemsandinstitutionsinclude:

• AffordableHousing• SocialInfrastructure(eg. programs, services, childcare, affordable transit, recreation programs and spaces)• EarlyChildhoodDevelopment(eg. prenatal care, pre-school programs, etc.)• FinancialAssets (eg. savings, home ownership, business ownership, etc.)• IncomeSupplementation(eg. Social assistance, working income tax benefit, child tax benefit)• IncomeReplacement(eg. employment insurance and pensions)• EducationandLiteracy• Training• DisabilityIncome

poverty is reduced by...a strong social

safety net

Tax revenue is necessary to ensure systems and institutionscanafford to createandmaintaina strong social safetynet.Redistributing income, through tax credits and subsidies forpeopleonlowerincomes,ensureseveryonecanaffordtherisingcostsofliving.Asseeninthetablebelow,Nordiccountriesout-performCanadaonfinancialgovernmentbalanceasashareofGDP,unemploymentrates,andpovertyrates.5

7

poverty is reduced by...a strong social

safety net

fastFActNordic countries, whichare considered high-taxcountries,havesignificantlylower rates of poverty across almost all socialgroups when compared tolow-tax Anglo-Americancountries.6

, 2009 % , 2009

country

% ,2009

-5.5%

-11.3%

-2.8%

-5.5%

10.5%

-0.9%

8.3%

9.3%

6.1%

3.7%

3.1%

8.3%

11.4%

17.3%

6.1%

7.2%

7.8%

8.4%

31.1%

24%

48.2%

39.1%

41%

46.4%

NoRDICANDANGLo-AMERICANCoUNTRyCoMPARISoNS5

8

Itispossibletoreducepovertythroughpolicyinterventions.Belowaretwopolicyexamples,one federal and one municipal, that tacklerootcausesofpoverty.

Income supports for seniors provide the firstexampleoftheimpactthatsocialpolicy,developedfortheneedsofaspecificdemographic,canhaveonreducingpovertylevels.

The Guaranteed Income Supplement andCanadaPensionPlanaregovernmentincomesupports that contributed to significantlyreducing the rate of poverty among seniors,which is now about one-half the rate ofyounger adults.7 other policies that addressroot causes can bolster such supports forseniors, and other demographic groups, sothatnoonegetsleftbehind.

Common attitudes and workplace practicescan inadvertently exclude people. Policyinterventions designed to shift attitudes andpractices are an important way to increaseeconomic and social inclusion. our secondexample therefore highlights The City ofCalgary’s “Welcoming Community Policy”,which aims to enhance The City’s inclusionpractices. The policy outlines the followinggoalsforCitydepartmentsandstaff:

• Toreducebarriersforpotentialimmigrantemployees at The City of Calgary anddevelopplansforaninclusiveworkplace

• To work with partners to create aninclusive community for immigrants inCalgary,and

• ToincreasethenumberandqualityofCity-operatedprogramsandservicesthatmeettheneedsoftheimmigrantpopulation.

poverty is reduced by...policy

interventions

Rose Ing is a Calgarian with a desire to make a difference. Living on low income, she understands the challenges poverty can bring. She also sees the many gaps that prevent some people from getting ahead. Rose volunteers her time with two different initiatives - Women Together Ending Poverty (WTEP) and PovertyTALKS! Both groups seek to raise awareness about poverty in Calgary and address its root causes by producing educational material, mobilizing people around poverty, and advocating for policy changes that will reduce poverty. Membership in both groups is primarily people who have experienced, or are currently experiencing poverty. As Rose explains, “the gaps aren’t always evident; someone with lived experience can point out where change needs to happen”. For Rose, the bottom line is that more supports are needed. But she also believes that the only way you can improve things is by doing something about it, “it’s up to people to point out that the status quo isn’t adequate”. Imagine the change we could make if we all reached out like Rose.

poverty is reduced by...community

engagementWaysyoucanmakeadifferenceinclude:

• Supportorganizationsorcoalitionsthatareworkingtowardspovertyreduction.• Getinvolvedinpoliticsthroughvoting,campaigning,oradvocating-standup

forpovertyreduction.• Changetheconversationaboutpovertybytalkingwithfriends,family,and

co-workers.Usethisseriesasaresourcetocreatepositivechangeandseeanendtopoverty.

• Developinitiativesornetworksthatinvolveorbenefitmarginalizedgroups.• Reachout to someone in your community through simpleacts, suchas

shovellingadriveway.

Everyactionyoutakeisavoteforthewayyouwanttheworldtobe.

Manyindividualsplayaroleinpovertyreductionbyvol-unteeringtheirtime,lendingtheirvoiceorcontributingdollars.Deliveringbasicneeds,communityorganizing,andmentoringyoungpeopleornewimmigrantsareafewexamplesofhowCalgariansareengagedinreduc-ingpovertyandhelpingourcommunitiesthrive.

9

10

Complex problems require complex solutions.Whilethestrategiesproposedinthisbookletmayseemoverwhelming,changeisalwayspossible.Broadening our understanding of poverty’scauses and solutions, taking responsibilityfor our communities, and supporting povertyreductioneffortswithourtime,dollars,energy,voice,andvote,willmakeadifference.

Calgaryisadynamiccitywithastrongeconomyandwearewell-positionedtoreducepovertyinour communities.Given thenegative impact ithasonindividuals,communities,andCalgaryasawhole,wecannotafford to ignore it. Luckily,withconcertedeffort,povertycanbereduced.How is Poverty Reduced?inthisseries,addressessolutionstopovertyinmoredetail.

how ispovertyreduced

reference list:

1. ThesetypesofinitiativesarereferredtoasComprehensiveCommunityInitiatives.Formoreinfo,see:TheWellesleyInstitute.(2010).Comprehensive Community Initiatives: Lessons Learned, Potential and Opportunities Moving Forward.Garnder,Bob,NimiraLalaniandCristinaPlamadeala.

2. HamiltonRoundtableforPovertyReduction.(2010,December16).PublicStatementfromtheHamiltonRoundtableforPovertyReduction.Retrievedfrom:http://www.hamiltonpoverty.ca/docs/news_and_reports/2010/mark-chamberlain-announcement.pdf

3. TheCaledonInstituteofSocialPolicy.(2008).Poverty Policy.Alberta:S.Torjman.4. CalgaryTransit(2011).PersonalCommunication.5. organizationforEconomicCooperationandDevelopment.(2011).oECDStatistics.Retrievedfrom:

http://www.oecd.org/document/0,3746,en_2649_201185_46462759_1_1_1_1,00.htmlAccessedonoctober8,2011.

6. CanadianCentreforPolicyAlternativesBrooks.(2006).The Social Benefits and Economic Costs of High Taxation: A Comparison of High- and Low-Tax Countries.ottawa:NeilBrooksandThaddeusHwong.

7. StatisticsCanada.(2009).Pathways into the Guaranteed Income Supplement,http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75-001-x/2009108/article/10911-eng.htm#n6

resources for engaging on poverty issues:the city of calgaryunited way of calgary and areavibrant communities calgarycalgary poverty reduction initiativeaction to end poverty in albertapovertytalks!canada without povertynational council on welfarecanadian council on social development

“Neverdoubtthatasmallgroupofthoughtful,committed citizens can change the world.Indeed,itistheonlythingthateverhas.”

- Margaret Mead

S P R I N G 2 0 1 2h Ow i s p O v e r t y r e d u c e d ?