Low-income growth outpaces population increases in York Region, report says

Yorkregion.com
April 23, 2015
By Lisa Queen

The rate of growth of low-income residents in York Region is outstripping overall population increases, according to a new report based on information from Statistics Canada.

“Overall, the number of residents with low income grew by almost 61 per cent between 2002 and 2012, compared to 49 per cent for the total population,” the report on low income trends from the region’s community and health services department, released last Thursday, stated.

The disturbing trend is something with which anti-poverty advocates are familiar.

“It’s not surprising. The report reflects that while York Region is an affluent area, the question of low-income residents in the region is a growing challenge,” Wendy Sue Lyttle, interim executive director of Inn from the Cold, said recently.

“Affordable housing is a major issue in the region.”

While Lyttle acknowledged the complexity of poverty and recognized ongoing efforts to address the issue, she said progress often seems glacial at best.

“It’s slow - the tortoise and the hare,” she said.

Lyttle wants to see an annual report setting out concrete benchmarks and achievements for addressing low-income issues in the region.

“I want benchmarks. I want to see what we have accomplished and what we still need to do,” she said.

Joan Stonehocker, executive director of the York Region Food Network, an umbrella organization assisting the majority of the region’s food banks, is also not surprised by the report.

There is a growing disparity between the well-off and those unable to meet their basic living expenses in York Region, she said.

“We’re not seeing things get any better, which is a little bit obvious. To me, we have to make some changes. We’re seeing the symptoms of growing inequality,” she said.

“Inequality is growing significantly.”

The region’s often hidden low-income population includes people with disabilities, those struggling to stretch social assistance to cover basic living expenses, immigrants, the homeless and those living in precarious housing situations, those trying to make ends meet on minimum wage and others, Stonehocker and Lyttle said.

Toronto and Peel Region have higher rates of low-income residents than York, with Durham and Halton regions having lower rates, the report said.

About 84 per cent of York low-income residents live in Markham, Richmond Hill and Vaughan, the report said.

While seniors make up a small part of York’s low-income residents, their share of the population grew from 7 per cent in 2000 to almost 11 per cent in 2012.

While the increase reflects the region’s aging population, it could also be a result of decreasing coverage of private workplace pension plans, reduced returns on investments, lower earnings for seniors who worked during the 2008-2009 recession and older immigrants not eligible for old age security benefits, the report said.

The percentage of working poor also climbed, the report said.

That could be a reflection of the changing labour market, especially during the recession.

“The impacts would vary depending on age - younger workers who faced challenges in entering or establishing themselves in the labour market and middle-aged to older workers who had to adjust to losing long-standing jobs,” the report said.

From 2003 to 2014, the percentage of full-time jobs in the region dropped to 73.5 per cent, down from 77.6 per cent as the number of retail, personal service and seasonal positions grew, the report said.

“A 2011 survey of working-age residents in the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton found that 21 per cent of York Region residents who responded were in temporary employment or were self-employed with no employees,” the report said.

“A further 24 per cent reported having jobs with elements of (being precarious), for example, people working full-time but without benefits, not expecting to be employed at the same place for a year or having work hours vary week to week and sometimes below 30 hours.”

People not living in families are more likely to be low-income, it added.

People can face periods of low income at different points in their lives, from youth trying to find work and seniors who face lower incomes after retirement to newcomers to Canada and people with disabilities.

“Since 2000, the number of people in these groups is growing in York Region,” the report said.

“This reflects York Region’s diversity and the need to sustain strategies that promote full inclusion of all groups into York Region’s communities and (the) local economy.”