Rising housing costs have had an impact on the ability of families to move. This article, using data from the Canadian Social Survey (CSS), illustrates how higher prices have disproportionately affected the moving decisions of young Canadians, particularly those experiencing financial...

This article analyses results from the Canadian Housing Survey, 2022 , using new variables on homelessness and factors contributing to regaining and maintaining housing. The paper provides a descriptive overview of different types of homelessness experiences in Canada, highlighting select...

A poverty reduction strategy lays a foundation to build a community of best practices; it identifies gaps and leverages local knowledge. This case study unpacks the conditions that have led to the success of Niagara Region’s Poverty Reduction Strategy – specifically around its community...

In partnership, Daily Bread Food Bank and North York Harvest Food Bank have released Who’s Hungry 2024 – an annual profile of poverty and food insecurity in the City of Toronto.   In the last year, there were 3.49 million client visits to Toronto food banks – nearly 1 million more visits...

The executive summary on the progress of Opportunity for All- Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy identifies the availability and affordability of safe and suitable housing, the ever-increasing cost of feeding one's family, the long hours and low wages of work to barely keep your head above...

Fraudsters are master manipulators who leverage relationships to build trust and exploit you financially. Technology makes it easy to become a victim as bad actors can, pretend to be someone you know online, or use artificial intelligence to trick you. According to data from the Canadian Anti-Fraud...

Almost all participants (Canadians and community-based organisations (CBOs)) voiced support for the idea of automatic enrolment because it would improve access to the benefit by streamlining the enrolment process for all eligible recipients. As eligible youth are from families experiencing low...

The Welfare in Canada reports look at the total incomes available to those relying on social assistance (often called “welfare”), taking into account tax credits and other benefits along with social assistance itself. The reports look at four different household types for each province and...

This 60-minute webinar for frontline practitioners, social service providers, and funders shares insights from a two-year project designed to help build financial wellness in isolated and rural First Nation communities in Manitoba and Ontario. Partnerships between First Nation communities and...

Wealth inequality, health and health equity is one in a series of ongoing think pieces from Wellesley Institute that aim to stimulate ideas and new conversations to create a fairer and healthier tomorrow. Canadians are struggling with the rising cost of living. A national survey in November 2023...

Working poverty is pervasive, racialized, and until the pandemic, was increasing in Toronto and across Canada. Until the pandemic, this increase was counterintuitive, during 2006 to 2016, as most of this ten-year period had been characterized by one of the most prolonged economic recoveries in...

This is a custom report produced by Statistics Canada in collaboration with the Assembly of First Nations. It includes key social and economic statistics regarding Status First Nations people living on and off reserve and includes comparisons with the non-Indigenous...

In Canada, governments provide seniors with a spectrum of income supports and programs intended to maintain a baseline standard of living in retirement. For many years, the social safety net has been praised for producing lower poverty rates for seniors, as measured by the Market Basket Measure...

Food Banks Canada's all-new Poverty Report Cards initiative grades how poverty reduction efforts are going in the provincial, territorial, and federal governments. The report cards will help policymakers and decision-makers at all levels of government gauge their performance in the fight against...

The Welfare in Canada reports look at the total incomes available to those relying on social assistance (often called “welfare”), taking into account tax credits and other benefits along with social assistance itself. The reports look at four different household types for each province and...

Building the Case provides evidence for the federal government to urgently step up to support single, working-age adults in Canada. This group experiences Canada’s highest and deepest rates of poverty and some of the country’s highest rates of food insecurity.  By analyzing publicly...

Food insecurity—the inadequate access to food due to financial constraints—affects 1 in 6 households in Canada, with serious health implications. Family benefit programs supplementing income have shown potential in mitigating the risk of food insecurity, but there is little understanding of...

Canada’s National Advisory Council on Poverty’s second Annual Report, Understanding Systems, is the first report to provide a glimpse into poverty since COVID-19. Based on community engagements with Canadians and provinces/territories over the last year, the Council has recommended five...

Using data provided by provincial and territorial government sources, Welfare in Canada, 2021 describes the components of welfare incomes, how they have changed from previous years, and how they compared to low-income thresholds. Access the report here.  During the launch event, the report’s...

This collection of financial empowerment tools and resources is intended to support both Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations working to build financial wellness in First Nation communities. It was created as part of the Financial Wellness in First Nations project (2021-2023) where...

One of the consequences of social distancing and other restrictions, during the pandemic, such as those on business operating hours, is that consumers spent more of their time searching for information, shopping, and streaming entertainment on-line. With more free time on their hands and money in...

A free online course to learn about personal income taxes in Canada, developed by the Canada Revenue Agency. Contents include: Starting to work: Why you need a social insurance number (SIN), when to fill out a TD1 form, and what’s on your pay stub and T4 slip. Preparing to do your taxes:...

Drawing on data for 54,000 households from Statistics Canada's Canadian Income Survey conducted in 2021, a disturbingly high rate of household food insecurity was identified. Food insecurity consists of inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints.  The prevalence of...

The Social Assistance Summaries series tracks the number of recipients of social assistance (welfare payments) in each province and territory. It was established by the Caledon Institute of Social Policy to maintain data previously published by the federal government as the Social Assistance...

Social prescribing is a means of connecting people to a range of community services and activities to improve their health and well-being. These services vary based on each person’s needs and interests, and can include food subsidies, transportation, fitness classes, arts and culture engagement,...