Calgarians struggling to afford housing, food: report
Posted Oct 3, 2023 7:42 am.
Last Updated Oct 28, 2023 11:10 am.
The Calgary Foundation has unveiled its 17th annual Quality of Life report, focusing on numerous issues that Calgarians are dealing with.
The report included responses from 1,000 city residents of all ages, backgrounds, and neighbourhoods.
“Some of the big challenges are around affordability. So, 25 per cent of Calgarians have told us that they’re struggling to make ends meet, to afford basic needs like housing, like food. There are some real challenges and concerns around safety, around inclusion,” said Taylor Barrie with the foundation.
When it comes to housing, the survey found that 40 per cent of people can’t afford to buy a home.
The same amount are stressed about their finances and 36 per cent are struggling to afford rent.
Both are increases from the last two years.
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Many parents also reported skipping meals to ensure their kids can eat.
Calgarians’ feelings about safety have gotten worse — with 80 percent saying they are concerned about it, a jump of nearly 20 per cent compared to just two years ago.
The report showed that 25 per cent of Calgarians can’t afford basic needs, and 36 per cent of parents claim to be skipping meals to ensure their kids can eat.
Barrie says it would take a lot to change these issues.
“A lot of it is going to come down to policy, yes. But, a lot of it is coming down to the organizations who are on the ground every day, supporting people who are dealing with some of these challenges, finding a way to meet people where they are to ensure they have their basic needs met,” she said. “And I think that involves more than one player, it takes a foundation, it takes a city, it takes a province, and it takes individuals.”
The survey did have some positive signs though.
People are generally more happy, as 69 per cent say they are doing good emotionally, which is an improvement compared to last year.
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And, nearly everyone surveyed liked the neighbourhood they lived in.
Despite the struggle portrayed in the report, it also found that many Calgarians are still looking out for one another, as there was a high percentage of people volunteering, or making donations to charities they care about.
The is also some love for public art.
“We are seeing big jumps in how many Calgarians feel like that is the key to a vibrant city, having access to the arts,” Barrie said. “They feel that public art is important, that art helps them see the world through someone else’s perspective and lens and so that’s a really wonderful thing about the findings from this year’s quality of life report.”
The survey found a big increase compared to previous years in how public art improves how people view the city.
The foundation claims the results from this year’s report show people are trying to hold onto hope while they pay their bills, and despite a collective struggle by many, the belief remains that Calgary is a great place to live.
