Calgarians stressed about inflation, safety: report
Posted Dec 15, 2022 10:12 am.
Last Updated Dec 15, 2022 10:13 am.
According to a new quality of life report from the Calgary Foundation (CFN) published Tuesday, Calgarians are stressed about money, inflation, and safety.
The report says residents feel they aren’t making ends meet as well as they used to, along with not being able to give back as much as they want.
However, more young people are enjoying living in the city, and mental health is making a rebound since 2020 saw a major decline.
“The full scope of the changes we’ve experienced over the past two years is striking. In learning to keep both our distance and our values, we’ve found new and creative ways to care for each other,” said President and CEO of the CFN Eva Friesen in a statement.
“Across the board, we’re faced with the choice to reduce our consumption or pay more for our everyday goods. Much more.”
Inflation and cost of living cause of stress
Taylor Barrie, a spokesperson for CFN, says inflation is leading to more stress.
“We’re certainly feeling the pinch in terms of how cost of living is affecting people’s quality of life,” Barrie said.
“[People are] stressed about their finances, that they’re struggling to gain and maintain meaningful work.”
About 22 per cent of residents say they feel stress due to health, and 21 per cent say they cannot afford healthy food, which goes up to 41 per cent for those aged 45-54.
Read More: Depression, anxiety can be amplified during holidays: Calgary counsellor
Regarding employment, 39 per cent of respondents said they lost hours or a job in 2022. Meanwhile, gas, rent, and food prices rose, with almost a quarter of people saying they can’t afford healthy food.
Seventy-nine per cent of Calgarians are concerned with the levels of poverty, and 19 per cent are “unable to meet basic financial needs.”
Calgarians are still giving, concern for safety up
Calgary Foundation screenshot from its quality of life report for 2022. (Calgary Foundation).
The rising cost of living, in general, is contributing to many areas of life, including the non-profit sector. People can’t give back as much, but there is a silver lining.
“Young people are actually volunteering more frequently than they have in previous years. In fact, they’re volunteering more than seniors, which is perhaps a little unusual or unexpected,” Barrie said.
Mental and physical health is rebounding slightly, with the foundation reporting a three per cent bump from 51 per cent in 2021.
But concern is rising about safety in the city.
WATCH
Half of Calgarians are concerned about safety in our neighbourhoods, while three-quarters of women are concerned about levels of domestic violence rising, compared to about a third of men.
“Domestic violence rates and intimate partner violence rates are on the rise – certainly exacerbated by the pandemic,” Barrie said.
A recent study by the University of Calgary says the rate of domestic violence has risen during the course of the pandemic.
Related Stories:
-
Family violence rose during COVID-19 pandemic: UCalgary study
-
Calgary city council finalizes budget for next four years
-
Calgarians questioning safety at CTrain stations
Despite all of the challenges of 2022, Calgarians love living here, according to the report. And more surprisingly, Calgary is growing on young people, with 85 per cent of people aged 18-25 saying it’s a good place to live.
“More young people have indicated they see themselves staying in Calgary for the near-ish term, and that’s a reversal from a couple of years ago when more young people were looking to get out and explore other cities,” Barrie said.
Forty per cent of Calgarians aged 18-24 say they plan to leave the city, a drop from 60 per cent in 2021. In addition, 74 per cent of people “don’t foresee moving out of Calgary in the near future.”
The Calgary Foundation surveyed 1,000 Calgarians across age groups, diverse backgrounds, and employment statuses.
More information can be found on the website.
-With files from Rachneet Randawa
