A Collaborative Research Project on Poverty in Surrey

PROGRESS REPORT JULY 11, 2011

Our committee

Working closely with Surrey City staff, Fraser Health representatives and SPARC BC — Social Planning and Research Council of BC

A COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT ON POVERTY IN SURREY PROGRESS REPORT JULY 2011

• Vibrant Surrey• Surrey Homelessness and Housing Task Force• Housing and Homelessness Society

Surrey is playing a leadership role• poverty rate is below the provincial and

regional averages• homeless counts show reduced

numbers of homeless • less people living on the streets

A COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT ON POVERTY IN SURREY PROGRESS REPORT JULY 2011

Surrey is playing a leadership role• partnerships with the province are

making a difference • the City’s support is showing

tangible results

A COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT ON POVERTY IN SURREY PROGRESS REPORT JULY 2011

Poverty is a large, troubling and persistent problem• our research shows that about 16,000

Surrey families lived in low income during 2006

• this represents 15.6 per centof all families

A COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT ON POVERTY IN SURREY PROGRESS REPORT JULY 2011

Breaking the cycle of poverty• Transportation

• Housing

• Income

• Supports

A COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT ON POVERTY IN SURREY PROGRESS REPORT JULY 2011

TRANSPORTATION• it costs $5,750 to operate a vehicle• fuel costs in 2009 were $1,920 • a monthly transit pass is $151 if you

live in Surrey and work in Vancouver• transportation is essential for

employment opportunities

A COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT ON POVERTY IN SURREY PROGRESS REPORT JULY 2011

HOUSING• Surrey’s housing prices are

more affordable • average Surrey rent  in 2010 was $811 per

month (22% below the regional average)• 1 in 10 renter households spend 50%

or more of their income on housing• waiting lists for social housing are

getting longer• affordable housing makes a difference

A COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT ON POVERTY IN SURREY PROGRESS REPORT JULY 2011

INCOME• Surrey is successful at providing for a

high quality of life for many residents• 15.6 per cent of Surrey families are in

low income

• groups under stress include new immigrant households, seniors, Aboriginal people, single parent families plus working poor and low income families

A COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT ON POVERTY IN SURREY PROGRESS REPORT JULY 2011

INCOME• The National Council on Welfare says

that a two-parent-two-child BC family  received $21,016 in 2008  

• $5,000 per person—or $300 a week—to cover all basic needs

A COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT ON POVERTY IN SURREY PROGRESS REPORT JULY 2011

SUPPORT• affordable child care

• access to education and opportunities

• a strong social safety net

A COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT ON POVERTY IN SURREY. PROGRESS REPORT. JULY 2011

SUPPORT• the types of initiatives that are in place

around the family child tax benefit and supports for seniors are working

• after tax changes have reduced the incidence of poverty for families in Surrey from 16,000 to 12,000

• the poverty rate for seniors went from 16.4 per cent to 8.7 per cent

A COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT ON POVERTY IN SURREY PROGRESS REPORT JULY 2011

A COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT ON POVERTY IN SURREY PROGRESS REPORT JULY 2011

A COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT ON POVERTY IN SURREY PROGRESS REPORT JULY 2011

will make a difference• community-based solutions• facts and dialogue• community forums• recommendations to council in

early 2012

A COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT ON POVERTY IN SURREY PROGRESS REPORT JULY 2011