TORONTO — Toronto is one of Canada’s financial capitals as well as being one of its most popular tourist destinations. In 2011, it was listed among the top 10 most innovative cities in the world and in 2012 it ranked third, right after New York City and London, as the world’s best city of opportunity for business, innovation and living. But in 2011, it was also named Canada’s most expensive city.
As of 2012, 23 percent of Toronto’s population lived in poverty including about 145, 890 children ages 0-19. Those most likely to be affected by poverty were more often than not of African, Middle Eastern, Caribbean or Latin American backgrounds; in fact, a 2014 report “The Hidden Epidemic: A Report on Child and Family Poverty in Toronto” found that people of African or Middle Eastern backgrounds are three times more likely to live on low incomes than those with European backgrounds. Similarly, 32 percent of children with Indigenous heritage live under low income cut-off levels, or in other words their families must spend over 20 percent more of their before-tax income than the average family on food, shelter and clothing. Those affected by poverty live throughout the Toronto, but there are 15 neighborhoods with particularly high poverty rates. Black Creek, Glenfeild-Jane Heights, Kingsview Village- the Westway, Beechborough-Greenbrook, Kensington-Chinatown, University, Regent Park, Moss Park, North St. Jamestown, Blake-Jones, Flemingdon Park, Thorncliffe Park, Taylor-Massey (formerly Crescent Town), Oakridge and Scarborough Village all have poverty rates at or above 40 percent. These neighborhoods are not clustered in one part of the city but are spread all around Toronto; some neighborhoods like Thorncliffe Park and Taylor-Massey (formerly Crescent Town) are even surrounded by areas with the lowest poverty rates in the city.
But of course these statistics can’t represent the whole picture of where those most affected by poverty live because there is little way of knowing exactly where those who are homeless spend their days and nights. In 2009 there were an estimated 5,086 homeless people in Toronto. As of 2013 there were only 3,836 permanent shelter beds and those facilities were filled almost to capacity on average nights. Homelessness can be caused by a combination of many different factors but a lack of affordable housing most assuredly plays a role. In 2012 only three percent of private apartments were available for rent. That same year, 1,742 new rental homes were built, but while the annual income required to afford a typical one-bedroom apartment is 40,400 Canadian dollars, a full-time employee making minimum wage can only expect to earn a total income of around 19,490 Canadian dollars. Difficulty in finding a place to live is not the only impact poverty can have on one’s life. In 2014, 18.9 percent of adults and 11.6 percent of children who used Toronto food banks still went hungry at least one day a week. Constant worry about job security, housing stability and access to food can often prevent both adults and children from building and/or accessing a much needed support system. As a result, many children from low-income families often don’t learn the necessary social skills needed to prepare them for school. In 2006, there were 2,183,625 people 15 years or older in the province of Ontario with no degree, certificate or diploma of any kind.
However there are several initiatives currently working to alleviate poverty in Toronto. The Ontario Works program provides financial assistance, employment assistance and health benefits to those with an immediate need and works with the Learning, Earning, and Parenting, called LEAP, program to help parents 16 to 25 obtain a high school diploma. There are Model Schools which cater specifically to the needs of children who might not otherwise succeed in school due to poverty or language barriers. The museum and arts pass program allows families to have access to cultural events and venues like museums, historical sites and the zoo, and it has been noted that access to such arts and cultural events help people feel like they are actually a part of Toronto. Non-governmental groups like City Hope in St. Jamestown aim to help residents of their own neighborhood through low-cost homework camps, summer camps and youth leadership training as well as a program specifically designed to help new immigrants acclimate to life in Toronto. The Canadian Women’s Foundation supports programs to help women climb out of poverty and take their families with them through job training or skilled trades training. Diverse community efforts like these show just how much Toronto really deserved its ranking among the top 10 most innovative cities in the world.
– Isabella Browne Lorcher
Sources: Ministry of Community and Social Services, Statistics Canada, Children’s Aid Society of Toronto 1, Children’s Aid Society of Toronto 2, Toronto District School Board
Photo: The Star