Article

Alberta's Progress in Poverty Reduction

News Release

12 April 2019

News Release

For immediate release

April 12, 2019, Calgary, AB – Poverty in Alberta has decreased in the past five years, the most in a generation. Since 2013, when VCC released Poverty Costs 2.0, many positive changes have been made by the Government of Alberta including:

  • The introduction of an Alberta Child Benefit
  • An increase and indexing of income supports
  • The increase in minimum wage
  • Cracking down on payday loans

These changes in policies and regulations, coupled with the Government of Canada’s Enhanced Child Benefit, have contributed to child poverty being reduced by 50 per cent.

“This is a wonderful demonstration of the positive impact solutions can have that are developed by communities and implemented in partnership with government,” said Franco Savoia, Executive Director of Vibrant Communities Calgary. “It is our hope that whichever government in in place we continue to advance these progressive policies.”

Read the report, “Alberta’s progress in poverty reduction"