More than half of Peel neighbourhoods low-income: report

Mississauga.com
Nov. 9, 2017
By Chris Clay

So much for the notion of Peel being a series of affluent, comfortable suburbs of Toronto.

According to a report from United Way of Toronto & York Region, the majority of neighbourhoods in Peel are now, for the first time ever, considered low-income. There's been a substantial increase in the past three decades or so with low-income neighbourhoods jumping from two per cent in 1980 to 45 per cent in 2012 and hitting 52 per cent in 2015.

Anita Stellinga, United Way of Peel Region's interim CEO and president, calls it a "huge" and "dramatic" shift and one that has the organization concerned.

"It's very troubling," she said of the data published in the Opportunity Equation in the Greater Toronto Area study that was initially released in 2015 but recently updated with 2016 census data.

Equally alarming for the United Way is the large decrease in Peel's middle-income neighbourhoods, which have dropped by 41 per cent since 1970

"As we see a decline in middle class neighbourhoods, we're seeing more (of an increase in) haves and have-nots," said Stellinga.

Daniele Zanotti is president and CEO of United Way Toronto & York Region and says what Peel is experiencing is being felt in Toronto and surrounding regions including York, Durham and Halton. The report found that in 1980, the regions were dominated by middle-income neighbourhoods, but that's no longer the case, and they're now much more divided between low and high income.

"Having neighbourhoods in the middle is vital to our regions' well-being," he said.

Zanotti says this growing gap between rich and poor often creates a sense of exclusion and marginalization while also having other negative impacts on communities. The report notes high income inequality is linked to "undesirable social and economic outcomes" including lower educational performance and life expectancy as well as higher rates of violence, imprisonment, mental illness, addiction, bankruptcy and financial distress.

Aggravating the income divide in the 905, according to Zanotti, is that the demand for social services is outpacing what's currently available.

Meanwhile, when queried as to why the income gap is increasing, Stellinga looks to globalization and the changing nature of the job market. More and more people have precarious employment or are working from contract to contract. She added that times have changed from when people would land a job and stay employed there for years or, in some cases, their whole career.

United Way is doing what it can to address the inequality. They report says they will continue to focus on supporting those experiencing poverty, have launched a strategy to help youth connect with meaningful career opportunities and that the organization will advocate on the issue while also further exploring and researching the topic.

In Peel, United Way, which will undergo a merger between the Peel and Toronto York organizations in April, will continue to focus on building the region's social service infrastructure and making access to employment a priority, says Zanotti.