Some Highlights of Surveys of Homelessness in Calgary

1. Some Highlights of Surveys of Homelessness in Calgary Date: May 15, 2002 Definition & Methodology Findings: Year:1996 199820002002 Tot. Count: 615 988 1296 1737 Street Count: 15 38 168 117 In 2002: (Note – increased shelter capacity of 288) • 42 families, incl. 59 children under age 13 & 56 teens age 13 to 17 60% of families were in women’s shelters • 38 seniors age 65 & over • 84% men • Over-rep’n of aboriginals (@ 15%), esp. in street count (over 1/3) • Under-rep’n of VisMins (@ 11%) but growing • Large increase in number of families.

2. Homelessness in Edmonton • Survey date: Sept. 14, 2000 • Total Homeless: 1160 persons (up from 836 in March 1999) incl.: 64 families (with 146 children under age 15) Males: 69% Aboriginals: 40%

3. Causes of Homelessness • Shrinking Supply of Affordable Housing • De-institutionalization of Mental Patients • Parent Child Conflict & Abuse: Runaways • Low Minimum Wage (see next slide)

4. Current and PlannedMinimum Wage Ratesin Canadian Provinces • Province Wage Effective Date Rank • Nfld. $6.00 Nov. 1, 2002 9 • N.B. $6.00 Aug. 1, 2002 9 • Nova Scotia $6.00 Oct. 1, 2002 9 • P.E.I. $6.25 Jan. 1, 2003 7 • P.E.I. $6.50 Jan. 1, 2004 -- • P.E.I. $6.80 Jan. 1, 2005 -- • Quebec $7.30 Feb. 1, 2003 2 • Ontario $6.85 Jan. 1, 1995 4 • Manitoba $6.75 April 1, 2003 5 • Sask. $6.65 Nov. 1, 2002 6 • Alberta $5.90 Oct. 1, 1999 11 • Yukon $7.20 Oct. 1, 1998 3 • B.C. $8.00 1

5. Causes of Homelessness • Shrinking Supply of Affordable Housing • De-institutionalization of Mental Patients • Parent Child Conflict & Abuse: Runaways • Low Minimum Wage (see previous slide) • Inadequate Income Supports for the Working Poor • Social Assistance Cuts (See next slide)

6. Changes in Social Assistance Benefits in Alberta, 1986-2001

7. Welfare Income as a Percentage of the Poverty Line, By Family Type, Alberta, 2001 Category Welfare Welfare as Benefits % of Poverty Line Single Employable $5,030 27% Person With a Disability $7,596 40% Single Parent, One Child $11,619 49% Couple with 2 Children $18,395 52% Source: Canadian Council on Social Development. www.ccsd.ca/factsheets/fs_ncwp101.htm

8. The Calgary Interfaith Food Bank Organizational Philosophy • All people seeking our help should be treated with compassion, dignity, and understanding. • Our clients deserve the highest quality foods that are possible for us to provide. • The best way to meet hunger needs is in collaboration with others who share our common purpose. • The spirit of volunteerism is our strength and our primary resource. • We are accountable to our community for the programs and services we deliver.

9. Some Facts About The Calgary Interfaith Food Bank • One of 615 food banks in Canada • Goal: to provide a nutritionally balanced hamper to feed a family for one week. • Availability: - screening for need - max. of 6 hampers per year - max. of 1 hamper per month • Volume in 2000: - $10 million in food - $2.5 million in funds - 44,000 hampers for 127,000 people • Staff - 65,000 hours of volunteers’ time - 35 full-time staff • Quote: You are all just 1-2 paycheques away from being a Food Bank client

10. Primary Sources of Income for Clients of Calgary Interfaith Food Bank • 39% Wage (Working Poor) • 25% Social Assistance • 12% None • 8% AISH • 6% Other • 4% EI • 3% Pension • 2% Student Finance • 1% WCB

11. The Klein Revolution: Impact on Seniors • Legitimating Discourse:“one-stop shopping” • Areas Affected: Health & Accommodation • Types of Measures Used - Fee increases - Elimination of Programs - Stricter Eligibility Criteria - Decreased Subsidies

12. Gender Stratificationin The Klein Revolution(Dacks, Green, & Trimble) • Deficit Reduction: - Not Gender Neutral • Policy Choices: - made within an ideological framework of patriarchy • In what ways did the ‘Klein Revolution’ adversely affect women in Alberta? 1. As Employees: UE & Casualizat’n 2. As Recipients: Loss of Benefits 3. Increased Demand for Women’s Unpaid Labour e.g., home care, school fund –raising Quotation: “The policies of the Klein government both assume and foster the notion that a woman’s full-time focus should be the family.”

13. Words as aPowerResource Why bother with studying the Alpac mill EIA hearings? (Richardson et al., Winning Back the Words) “We engage in discourse analysis to show how language was used in the Alpac hearings in an attempt to gain, consolidate, and maintain power.” p. 10 The Generalizability of the AlPac Experience - to our own town, cities & neighbourhoods - to other projects of the state (e.g., the Klein Revol’n; Kyoto Accord)

14. Types of Uses of Discourse in the Service of Power • To Legitimate - to establish one’s authority when authority is contested terrain p. 18 -words chosen to resonate with your values and needs e.g., choice of words to indicate expertise, objectivity, trustworthiness • To Marginalize Opponents and Dismiss their Concerns • To Avoid Coercion (Foucault) - to mystify inequalities and win consent so as to avoid the need to use coercive force • To Structure Debate & Limit Alternatives e.g., - ‘consultation’ meetings workbks - limiting terms of reference of hearings

15. Discourse Techniques Usedin the Alpac Hearings • Binary Oppositions (p. 16) e.g., local vs outsider; expert vs non- expert • Metaphor e.g., trees as ‘weeds’; logging as ‘harvesting’ • Euphemisms e.g., effluent as ‘contributions’; chlorine as ‘an element of table salt’ • Appeal to the ‘Wisdom of the Market’ • Appeal to Deeply Held Values e.g., keeping family together; growth as progress

16. The LegitimatingDiscourse of the Klein Revolution • An expenditure problem, not a revenue problem; Spiralling costs; Uncontrolled spending • The Household Budget; Getting our house in order • The Alberta Advantage • Competition and choice • We have no choice • Restraint; Elimination of waste & duplication • Self-determination • Debt redistributes income to the rich • Adaptation to the new reality

17. Legitimating Discourse of Klein Revolution (cont’d) • Protect grandchildren from the crippling burden of debt • Consultation; the silent majority • Responsibility • World class • Short term pain for long term gain • Mere anecdotes • Fat cats and special interest groups