General Comments/Questions

Social Planning Definition

Defining Elements of Social Planning

Definitions
Community:
Essentially, a group of people who hold a common interest.

Social Planning:
"Social planning is a process that helps communities identify strengths and weaknesses and determine ways to improve the quality of life in the community" (Community Development Halton, 2006). It is a top-down approach to working with communities and is usually directed by professionals, often involving some form of government leadership. Social planning cultivates the strengthening of communities by promoting positive social change, social justice, and care for people regardless of their race, colour, gender, nationality, religion, sexual orientation or language of birth.

Core Values of a Social Planning Organization:
Primacy of Community -guides the functioning of SP
Voluntarism -actively encourages community members to involve themselves to some degree in issues affecting the quality of their lives
Diversity -recognizes and values the multi-dimensional character of participants whose backgrounds and experiences are varied
Equity and Justice - is committed to equal treatment of members, and fair access to resources for all participants
Co-operation -anticipates a willingness to comply with proposals based on expertise provided by leaders.

Operating Principles of a Social Planning Organization:
Independence -has the freedom to critique existing policies/systems and to propose alternative formats (more so than public sector groups or direct service providers)
Community Accountability -is membership-based and governed by boards elected by these members
Knowledge-based Action -links research data and community experience to action proposals/solutions to identified problems
Citizen participation -promotes the active involvement of community members in planning and decision-making steps
Inclusiveness -seeks to include all interested persons regardless of any self-defining form of identification
Empowerment -strives to build the capacity of leadership for participating effectively in democratic processes and accepting more control over decisions affecting the quality of community life
Holistic Perspective -recognizes the need for comprehensive and interdisciplinary approaches to planning/policy analysis/problem solving.
Process based -uses procedures to provide effective meetings that involve participants and develop proposals for positive social change.

Approaches for Social Planning Organizations:
Research -the provision of data to support a point of view
Policy Analysis
Convening/Facilitation -the organization of meetings, the provision of opportunities for participant input in a respectful manner
Collaboration -the recognition that political, economic, cultural, technological and social factors often need to be jointly considered
Community Awareness and Education
Service Development
Advocacy -the need to promote a cause/concern/problem to those with the 'power' to help to change

Challenges for Social Planning Organizations:
Priorities that change/evolve within the community
Demographics that change with time
Varying needs/priorities of community members
Creating/maintaining liaisons/relationships with organizations which can help to effect change/solve problems
Bureaucratic red-tape
Instigating consultation with a representative sample of community members

Strengths of a Social Planning Organization:
The creation of a 'community' to take problem-solving action
The creation of partnerships among various levels of organizations
The provision of data/research/statistics to help to guide
The provision of lobby groups to influence those in 'power'
People unable to actively be involved can still benefit from the process
People who feel intimidated/afraid/insecure may still be represented via statistics and thus helped with sensitive issues (i.e. HIV/AIDS, abuse, sexual orientation)

Additional Source: www.cdhalton.ca/sp/ingrtpin.htm. October 26, 2007.

Images from www.images.google.com November 24, 2007.

Social Planning Word Search

Edmonton Social Planning Council, Our Chosen Organization- A Quick Synopsis

Edmonton Social Planning Council

Who We Are
The ESPC is an independent, non-profit, charitable organization, and a United Way member agency. The Council is composed of a voluntary board of directors that is a policy governing board, and a dedicated group of staff.

Our Mission
The ESPC provides leadership to the community and its organizations in addressing social issues and effecting changes to social policy.

Our Vision
A healthy, just and inclusive community

What We Do

ESPC informs and engages community by:

Coordination & Collaboration ESPC works in partnership with other community members and organizations to meet community needs and participates in coalitions of shared interest to address social issues.

Research & Policy Analysis ESPC provides community based research and analysis on social issues that impact the Edmonton area for the human services sector and the citizens of Edmonton.
Public Education ESPC provides topical and relevant information on social issues to the human services sector, policy makers, the media, the general public and our membership.
AdvocacyESPC identifies the needs of Edmontonians affected by social issues and then proposes changes to social policy and services that will improve outcomes for all citizens.

What We Have Done
In May 2005, the ESPC celebrated its 65th anniversary, having been first conceptualized in the late 1930s. Since the early years, ESPC has shown a commitment to the community by being part of countless initiatives that have produced numerous social agencies that have become an integral part of the lives of Edmontonians. Agencies that the ESPC has helped to create include:

John Howard Society
Head Start
Edmonton Community Legal Centre (formerly the Society for the Edmonton Centre for Equal Justice)
Seniors Association of Greater Edmonton (formerly the Society for the Retired and Semi-Retired )
Boyle Street Community Services Co-op
And many more.

Sources:

Edmonton Social Planning Website http://www.edmspc.com/ November 24, 2007

ESPC Core Values

The Core Values
If we recall the definition of Social Planning which is “a process that helps communities identify strengths and weakness and determine ways to improve the quality of life in the community” (Community Development Halton, 2006), we can easily identify the core values found within Edmonton Social Planning Council (ESPC). Their major focus would involve research in homelessness, affordable housing, living wages and the plans to revitalize downtown east side Edmonton. As pointed by the Administrative Assistant, Stephanie Haar, ESPC does not raise funds for these concerns. They are usually contacted by various agencies/lobbyists and ask to conduct research on a number of community issues. ESPC’s mission statement states it “ is committed to providing educational opportunities around topical and relevant social issues. Our workshops and public events are aimed at the general public and our members, as well as at policy makers and professionals in the human services sector.” One of the most recent projects was research for the Alberta Government. The results would give the Provincial Government much needed statistics for providing funding to the Working Poor for housing. Additional offerings of other surveys and research studies can be found at: http://www.edmspc.com/publiced.aspx#Advocacy

ESPC actively encourages a broad range of participants to become members of the organization and lend their expertise or manpower in designing and carrying out research. How effective is the research/results? ESPC was recently asked to conduct a survey on Affordable housing by the Alberta Affordable Housing Task Force. Conducted surveys were open to a cross-section of people with no barriers on race, religion, age and gender. Final statistical output resulted with the introduction of the Homeless and Eviction Prevention (HEP) fund by the Alberta Government. The City of Edmonton also reviewed the results and offered incentives to the construction industry to build multiple dwelling unit with fifty percent of the facility set aside for low-income families, with the one stipulation that the status would not change in the next ten years.

Listed below are two news articles below verifing the Alberta Government’s commitment to make a positive change in this area. Each season, ESPC produces a newsletter entitled: The fACTivist and draws the reader’s attention to current events, supported with statistical surveys, possibly done by ESPC. The Fall 2007 issue featured a focus on the Municipal election, affordable housing and homelessness as some of the main concerns. ESPC was asked to conduct a recent in-depth report on the working poor in Edmonton and how this 80% of Edmonton’s population earned wages well below the Alberta average.

If you were a group interested in pursuing fund raising for education (as an example), consulting with ESPC website should guide you on what the current status on education is, offer you historical data and any research that has been collected and assembled by ESPC as well as guidance on where funds are desperately needed such as inner city schools.

To guide any lobbyists organization, ESPC offers convenient links to their extensive library which houses a wide variety of research topics.

The Edmonton Social Planning Council is “host to a small, but unique, resource room that is a collection of books, reports and periodicals on social issues, with a focus on Edmonton and Alberta.” The resource library is comprised of a number of research results and contains historical, as well as current, materials that cover statistical analysis, policy information and reports from local and national non-profit organizations. There has been many research areas that have been performed by ESPC either from citizen advisory committees, private-contractual work, or Edmonton Development Council for the Affordable Housing.

Some of the recent press coverage is listed below.

November 01, 2007 - Working Poor, Edmonton Journal
Boom isn't raising all family incomes
More households earn $100,000 plus, but lower-income group hasn't made headway
Duncan Thorne

Edmonton's economic boom is making the rich richer, but most households are barely better off than in 1981, says the Edmonton Social Planning Council.

In making the comparison Wednesday, the council reached back to the peak year of the last big oil boom, rather than to the leaner intervening years.

It makes sense to compare "apples-to-apples" boom years, council researcher John Kolkman said as the non-profit agency called for more than $1 billion in tax breaks and increased spending for low-income Albertans.

The council released a report, Standing Still in a Booming Economy, that indicates household inflation-adjusted earnings in the Edmonton census metro area were virtually the same in 1981 and in 2005 -- the latest year where such information is available.

Using Statistics Canada figures, Kolkman said the median earnings level -- the point where half of income earners make more and half earn less -- stood at slightly more than $32,000 in 1981, and only $300 above that in 2005. He adjusted 1981 earnings to equate them to the dollar's 2005 buying power.

Median earnings were lower in all intervening years -- and as much as $7,500 lower in 1995.

Kolkman said the "standing still" in his report's title means Edmontonians were in 2005 doing as well, overall, as at the peak of the last boom. He added that the local economy is twice as large, per capita, as it was 25 years ago -- meaning most earnings gains since then have gone to business rather than to individuals.

Even so, in inflation-adjusted terms, an increasing proportion of Edmonton-area families are making $100,000 or more, the Statistics Canada numbers show. Back in 1981, about 27 per cent of families were making at least that amount, in 2005 dollars. As of 2005, more than 30 per cent were in that earnings range.

About 55 per cent of families in 1981 were earning between $40,000 and $100,000 in inflation-adjusted 2005 dollars. The middle-income range accounted for just 43 per cent of families by 2005. About 18 per cent of families earned less than $40,000 in 1981, using the same inflation-adjusted dollars. Families in that lower-income range peaked at about 38 per cent in 1995. As of 2005, they accounted for 27 per cent.

"A greater percentage of families are doing better," Kolkman said. Even so, he said some families that were once middle income have since lost ground.

Susan Morrissey, council executive director, said those lower-income people shouldn't be forgotten. "We have people who are homeless, we have people who are working two and three jobs that are really having difficulty making ends meet."

The council proposes a series of relief measures, the biggest one being an end to health-care premiums, which amount to $1,056 a year for families and $528 for single earners.

Kolkman said the premiums, worth about $900 million to the government, have a bigger impact on middle- and lower-income earners than on people who are better off.

Shannon Haggarty, speaking for Alberta Health, said the premiums cover only about 10 per cent of health-care spending, but send an important message that there is a cost to the service. She said lower-income Albertans pay lower premiums or, depending on income, are exempted outright. The government has no plans to end premiums, Haggarty added.

dthorne@thejournal.canwest.com


November 14, 2007 - Working poor, Vue Weekly
Report Finds Stagnant Incomes, Growing Gap in Edmonton Boom

Scott Harris / scott@vueweekly.com

A new report from the Edmonton Social Planning Council says that despite a booming economy and strong job growth, many Edmonton families are no better off than they were a quarter-century ago.

The report, Standing Still in a Booming Economy, looked at employment and earnings data in the city dating back to 1980, when the province was experiencing an energy boom similar to the present one.

“What we found—and somewhat to our surprise—was that household incomes and earnings have essentially stood still since the early 1980s; they haven’t really increased at all once you’ve factored out inflation and increases in living costs,” ,said report author John Kolkman, the research and policy analysis coordinator with the council.

At $49 200, the 2005 median after-tax income for families in the city was just two per cent higher than its previous peak of $48 900 in 1981, when adjusted for inflation.

Kolkman said such a miniscule gain in income is noteworthy when compared to the increase in the size of the city’s economy, measured by per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“When you look at economic growth, GDP per person has been growing at a rate almost two times faster than median employment earnings and incomes over the past quarter century. So a smaller share of the economic pie is actually going to wages and salaries and incomes of families with low and modest incomes.” Kolkman said that two trends explain the discrepancy: a polarization in incomes, with a bigger share of wealth going to families with higher incomes, and an increasing share of wealth going to corporate profits.

“Essentially what’s occurring is some people are migrating upward and other families are migrating downwards, and you have a shrinking middle,” he explained.

According to figures in the report, slightly more than a third of Edmonton families had annual incomes over $100 000 in 2005, up from just over 20 per cent in 1980. The city has seen a similar increase in families making less than $40 000, growing from 21 per cent to approximately 27 per cent. At the same time, families in the middle-income range between $40 000 and $99 000 has dropped from 58 per cent to 42 per cent over the same period.

This polarization is occurring, Kolkman explained, because while some workers are benefiting from the boom in the oil and gas, construction and engineering sectors, the sector where most jobs are—and where most new job growth is occurring—is in the low-paying service sector.

“But I would say an even larger shift is occurring in that a larger share of the economic pie is being added to corporate bottom lines rather than going to personal income,” Kolkman said, pointing to the example of the oil and gas extraction sector, whose equity has grown six-fold since 1993.

Kolkman pointed out that even with the current boom, one out of every seven families in the city still lives beneath the official low-income cut-off line, and many more are struggling to make ends meet just above the cut-off.

“People are actually finding that even though these low-paying jobs are quite plentiful, they either have to work several part-time jobs or they work a full-time job and a part-time job to make ends meet,” he said, adding that this reality “takes a toll on family life.”

While Kolkman admitted that some government programs, including the federal Child Tax Benefit and the provincial Family Employment Tax Credit, are helping low-income families, he said all levels of government could be doing much more.

The report lays out a series of recommendations, suggesting an increase in the minimum wage to $10 an hour, a level Kolkman said would allow a person working full-time year-round to rise above the poverty line.

He also said that all three levels of government need to look at increasing funding to allow government-contracted services in areas such as long-term care, women’s shelters and childcare to increase salary levels to enable them to better attract and retain staff.

Other labour-market recommendations include introducing first-contract arbitration and a reduction in reliance on temporary foreign workers, which the report says should be replaced by a provincial nominee program similar to one in Manitoba, which would provide foreign workers with the protections enjoyed by Canadian workers and enable them to eventually become citizens.

The report also suggests more funding for childcare and an increase in the eligibility for childcare subsidies to include more families.

Kolkman said the elimination of Alberta Health Care Premiums, another of the recommendations in the report, would have an immediate impact on families at the low end of the income scale.

“They’re not really premiums at all, they’re really a regressive form of tax: a family making $40 000 a year has to pay the same $1056 in so-called health care premiums as the family that’s making $400 000 a year,” he said. “If we just eliminated health care premiums we would right away increase the incomes of modest-income families by $1056 per year. And I think that would be very beneficial.”

Homeless and Eviction Prevention Fund
Are you having trouble obtaining rental accommodation because you don't have enough money for a damage deposit or first month's rent? Have you received an eviction notice because you are behind in your rent?
The Homeless and Eviction Prevention Fund can help you.
The Homeless and Eviction Prevention Fund is part of the Government's response to the recommendations of the Alberta Affordable Housing Task Force, and is designed to provide short-term assistance to prevent Albertans from becoming homeless and to help individuals and families stabilize their shelter arrangements. View the news release, outlining the government's response to alleviate housing pressures for Albertans.
Where do you go?
In person
Come to one of EII's 59 Employment, Immigration and Industry offices located across the province.
On the phone
Call 1-866-644-5135 (644-5135 in Edmonton).
For ongoing housing needs, eligible Albertans can receive help from the Alberta Works Income Support program or be referred to Municipal Affairs and Housing's Rent Supplement Program.
Document Title and Description Date
(dd/mm/yy) Format
Homeless and Eviction Prevention Fund Internal Audit
27/09/07

Homeless and Eviction Prevention Fund Fact Sheet
11/09/07

Homeless and Eviction Prevention Fund FAQs


Top
Created: 2007-06-08
Modified: 2007-09-27
Reviewed: 2007-06-08
Letter of Transmittal
Date: September 24, 2007
SUBJECT: Review of the Homeless and Eviction Prevention (HEP) Fund

Employment, Immigration and Industry has completed its review of the benefits (a
randomly selected sample using a statistically valid process) issued under the HEP Fund
directives for the review period of May 11 to July 16, 2007. The purpose of the review
was to provide assurance that methods used to determine client eligibility and
entitlements were in compliance with HEP Fund directives, including applicable Income
Support policies and procedures.

Generally, the results of the review indicated that HEP Fund benefits were issued in
accordance with the Fund directives, policies, and procedures. We noted that there needs
to be some improvement in the documentation on some files to comply with the
substantiation requirements specified in the directives. In the attached report, we have
included recommendations along with management comments which should assist in
improving policy and procedures.

We would like to thank Delivery Services staff for their assistance and the cooperation
extended to us during the course of this review. Please do not hesitate to contact me if
you require additional information.

Original signed by

Chief Financial Officer
Employment, Immigration, and Industry

(As found at: http://employment.alberta.ca/documents/FCH/FCH_hepf_internal_audit.pdf)



REVIEW OF
HOMELESS AND EVICTION PREVENTION FUND
Background
The Government of Alberta through Municipal Affairs and Housing (MAH)
introduced the Homeless and Eviction Prevention (HEP) Fund in response to the
recommendations of the Alberta Affordable Housing Task Force.

Employment, Immigration and Industry (EII) began delivering the program on
behalf of MAH on May 11, 2007. The program was designed to assist Albertans
at risk of losing their homes due to rent increases as well as those who require
benefit support in establishing a residence.

Minister Evans asked the department’s internal auditors to undertake a review of
the administration of the fund to ensure proper accountability. The Terms of
Reference for the review are attached as Appendix A. Information on the program
description, policy, objectives, scope, and the criteria for the review are contained
in the Terms of Reference.

Sampling Methodology
The review was conducted by the Employment, Immigration, and Industry Internal
Audit team and examined a randomly selected, statistically valid provincial sample
of payments made from the HEP Fund during the period May 11 to July 16, 2007.
The sample size was determined using the Attribute Sampling Program to ensure
the results were accurate with a 95% confidence level. This program determines
the minimum sample size necessary to provide the required level of assurance that
internal controls are operating effectively. During this period, payments from the
HEP Fund totalled $4,866,406 for 5,880 clients for an average of $827 per client.
A review sample of 239 (Northwest - 11; Northeast - 4; Edmonton - 83; Central -
14; Calgary - 103; South - 24) clients consisted of 393 payments totalling
$197,781, for an average of $828 per client. Benefit payments were provided for
the following purposes:
• Rental arrears 191 (49%)
• Damage deposits 78 (20%)
• First month’s rent 73 (19%)
• Utility arrears 37 (9%)
• Moving costs 14 (4%)

Additional Review Work
Data cross match for Municipal Affairs and Housing (MAH) Rental
Supplement Clients to EII Income Support and HEP Fund Clients
During the course of the review, the audit team was able to match data for
individuals who had accessed the Direct Rent Supplement Program through MAH
with the HEP Fund client base. The MAH database consisted of 591 individuals
who received benefits from the Direct Rent Supplement Program during the period
from June to August, 2007. This data was matched to the equivalent information
in LISA and CCD (EII’s electronic file maintenance systems) to identify duplicate
or overlapping benefits between the two programs.

ESPC Operating Principles

How the Edmonton Social Planning Council demonstrates the Operating Principles of SP

Independence

* its website proclaims it as "an independent, non-profit, charitable organization;
* it participates in a number of social action coalitions as an individual member;
* it initiated its own constitution in 1941;
* it developed its own social planning board and subsequent budget in 1960;
* rewriting its own constitution in 1972, it established 4 separate citizen commission groups focusing on urban issues and a research approach.

Community Accountability

* it's composed of a voluntary 4 member Board of Directors which governs its overall directions;
* it maintains a large group of support staff;
* fee-paying members may approve/reject proposals by vote;
* it is core-funded by Alberta's United Way and thus must remain attentive to the U.W.'s social priorities;
* it has set up office space in a former inner city school, thus living in the milieu of which it is often concerned.

Knowledge-based Procedures (the following represent a small sample of its many attempts to provide data and experience to promote social action)

* 1943 -it produced the Whitton Study which revealed horrific adoption practices all across Canada;
* 1958 -it published critical research findings about the services for, voting rights, employment and vocational training opportunities for the physically and mentally disabled;
* 1968 -it published the "Blue Book" of legal rights related to the lifestyles of transient youth (media called it 'subversive');
* 1972 -it produced "Alternatives to Poverty and Welfare", a document about causes and the needed provision of encouraging work incentives for the unemployed (which did influence provincial government policy);
* 1991 -it researched and published "The Cost of Healthy Living", illustrating clearly that current welfare payments did not even cover the basics of a healthy lifestyle for a child;
* 2001-3 -it did ample research and assessment about the available services (health, education, employment) for Aboriginal youth.

Citizen Participation

* it continues to provide information, including a website page, called 'Members Speak', by which it invites feedback and input, and publishes results of such;
* since 1939, it has conducted over 50 'needs surveys' in the Edmonton area;
* it will co-host a conference exploring the issues of poverty and related social concerns facing Alberta's families on January 25, 2008;
* it has established websites where the public can read about the provincial government's current social programmes and their projected effectiveness;
* in 1977, it began training people as para-professional community workers;
* in 2002, it initiated 'Tap-In', a project whereby interested people could receive surplus employment training opportunities at various institutions.

Inclusiveness of People

* inviting people to become involved, regardless of any self-defining form of identification, the ESPC asserts this principle in its 'Vision Statement';
* it provides a list of Advocacy resources/addresses for anyone interested in sharing ideas/concerns with government departments;
* it co-hosted a 'Renters Listening Forum' in May, 2007 to give Edmonton renters the chance to share their stories about the crisis there;
* since 1939, ESPC has investigated/researched/analysed an extremely wide range of social concerns, including mental health care, care for the elderly, physical disability provisions, unemployment, child welfare, First Nations issues, women's issues, urban renewal consequences (for example);
* in 2004, it partnered with 4 other agencies on the 'Inclusive Cities Canada' project to consult on making cities more inclusive of all their citizens.

Holistic Perspective

* several instances above demonstate how ESPC has seen the need to take a comprehensive view of social problem solving by partnering with a variety of organizations to conduct forums, to provide resources and to propose resolutions.

Written by William

ESPC Actions, Meaghen Taylor-Reid

Edmonton Social Planning Council (ESPC)

Actions

Research -the provision of data to support a point of view; ESPC produces Tracking the Trends, their 2006 report included the Social Inclusion Health Indicators: A Framework for Addressing the Social Determinants of Health- by Phil O’Hara (Oct ‘06), Publications include: Living Wage Campaign (Public Interest Alberta), Voices from our Neighbourhoods Project (Action for Healthy Communities) Policy Analysis ESPC Opinion Pieces Include: Tories Slow to Give Decent Income to Poorest Albertans(Edmonton Journal, Jun 26, ‘06), Alberta Families Deserve a Ticket Out of Poverty(Edmonton Journal, Sep 4, ‘06), Focus on Social Health Key to a More Inclusive City: ESPC Report says removing barriers to inclusion is critical to improving health status (Edmonton Journal, Oct 23, ‘06), Alberta Association of Services for Children and Youth: Cabinet Policy Committee Report

Convening/Facilitation -the organization of meetings, the provision of opportunities for participant input in a respectful manner ; I would argue that a lot of this happens at their events (conferences, panels, forums), through research and especially in this technological age, online.

Collaboration -the recognition that political, economic, cultural, technological and social factors often need to be jointly considered; ESPC includes Committees and Coalitions: Joint Stakeholders Committee on Children and Poverty, Strategic Alliance on Low-Income Issues, Alberta Social and Health Equity Network (ASHEN), Urban Core Support Network (UCSN), Living Wage Task Force (Public Interest Alberta), Downtown East Re-development Committee, Vibrant Communities Edmonton Leadership Council; Consulations include Alberta Human Resource and Employment StandardsReview (Jun ‘06), City of Edmonton Municipal Plan (Oct ‘06), Voices from our Neighborhoods Project funding applications (Fall ‘06), Edmonton Police Service and Downtown Business Association Community Crime Congress (Jun ‘06) Community Awareness and Education; ESPC participates in a wide variety of education/awareness programs through presentations (held at a wide array of colleges), hosted events (their AGM, open house, seasonal), events participated in (dialogues and forums) and conferences attended (a wide array in differing roles- the Executive Director, Board Members or Members) and their resource library; online educational resources are also available.

Service Development- Past service development projects are diverse including countless initiatives helping to create the John Howard Society (addressing crime and prevention), Head Start (addressing children and poverty), The Edmonton Community Legal Centre (addressing legal supports to the un/under employed), etc. ESCPC continues to play a role with these organizations as board members, partners, for research, etc. Current ESPC projects include the Working Poor in Edmonton Project, Inclusive Cities Canada Project, Renters Listing forums and the "Alberta (dis)Advantage" for Families and Youth Conference.

Advocacy -the need to promote a cause/concern/problem to those with the 'power' to help to change; ESPC does this through publications and partnerships with Public Interest Alberta, Action for Healthy Communities, Alberta Social & Health Equity Network (ASHEN), Canadian Council for Social Development (CCSD), Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness (ECOHH), Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers (EMCN), Inclusive Cities Canada (ICC), Grant MacEwan College Social Work Program, Public Interest Alberta (PIA), Strategic Alliance on Low Income Issues, United Way of the Alberta Capital Region, Urban Core Support Network (UCSN) and Vibrant Communities Edmonton (VCE); online advocacy resources (tool kits and contacts) are also available CitingEdmonton Journal

Sources Cited

The Edmonton Journal Website http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/index.html Viewed November 1, 2007

Edmonton Social Planning Council http://www.edmspc.com/ Viewed November 1, 2007

ESPC Challenges

The ESPC faces a variety of challenges in its work, many of which they share in common with other organizations doing similar work.

They include:
- lack of funding, despite being in a "wealthy" province
- inability to convince the public that there are serious, legitimate problems being faced by people in Alberta - when public perception tends towards the belief that everybody is benefitting from the economic boom
- maintaining public attention/support after they are aware of the issues/challenges facing many people in the province
- working with a conservative government
- working within the constraints of the political election cycle
- time restraints (affects many people who are involved in the organization including board members, staff etc.)

ESPC Strengths, Heather McKay

Strengths of a Social Planning Organization

1) The creation of a community to take problem-solving action.

Since the early 1940’s the Edmonton Social Planning Council (ESPC) has worked to create communities that could solve various problems. The Council itself could be defined as a community made up of staff, board members, and community volunteers interested in the common purpose of tackling social issues and effecting change in social policy.

The upcoming conference “Alberta Dis(Advantage)” for families and youth will provide an opportunity for participants to explore the many social and economic challenges facing Alberta children and youth.

The Renters Listening Forums provides a community forum for those people living in Edmonton that would like to share their stories with others about the rental housing crisis in Edmonton.


2) The creation of partnerships among various levels of organizations.

Much of the work carried out by the Edmonton Social Planning Council is done in partnership with other organizations. The Working Poor in Edmonton report that was done in partnership with Vibrant Communities Edmonton and the “Edmonton Life: Local Indicators for Excellence” report created in partnership with the City of Edmonton, United Way of Alberta Capital Region and several other major cities across the country.

Furthermore, the ESPC helped to form many organizations including; The United Way of the Alberta Capital Region, The John Howard Society, the Edmonton Mental Health Association and The Edmonton Coalition for Quality Child Care.


3) The provision of data/research/statistics to help to guide.

Many of the projects carried out by the ESPC include the use of data/research and statistics to help effect change. One example is a report titled “Two Paycheques Away: Social Policy and Hunger in Edmonton”. This report resulted from 816 face-to-face surveys of food bank users. The information gathered during these interviews provided valuable information for the creation of this report. A follow-up to this report “A Return Look at Two Paycheques Away: Social Policy and Hunger in Edmonton” interviewed another 200 food bank users.

Many other reports from the ESPC have been generated with the use statistics including “Standing Still in a Booming Economy: Finding Solutions for Low-income Working Households”, “Tracking the Trends: Social Health in Edmonton: 2007 Edition” and “Edmonton LIFE: Local Indicators for Excellence”.


4) The provision of lobby groups to influence those in “power”.

Lobby groups work towards influencing government to effect change. The Renters Listening Forum not only provides an opportunity for sharing, but the information collected is collated in order to be presented to government representatives and those in senior decision-making positions of all three levels of government.

Other projects of the ESPC that have resulted in reports have been used to try and lobby the government. Both “Two Paycheques Away: Social Policy and Hunger in Edmonton” and “Standing Still in a Booming Economy: Finding Solutions for Low Income Working Households” are examples of reports that have been used to try and influence government. The second report outlined specific recommendations to government for change in the hopes of influencing policy.


5) People unable to actively be involved can still benefit from the process.

Much of the work done by the ESPC utilizes the knowledge of a smaller population that will provide benefits to the larger. An example of this is the report “Two Paycheques Away: Social Policy and Hunger in Edmonton”. While this report interviewed over 800 food bank users, any change that results from this report will benefit all those with low incomes.

The same can be said about the Renters Listening Forum. Any change that results from the information gathered can benefit all those in similar situations as those who contributed to the forum.

There can be a lot of stigma attached to poverty and those who may not feel comfortable participating in an open forum or carrying out a face-to-face interview can still benefit from those who are willing to speak about the subject.


6) People who feel intimidated/afraid/insecure may still be represented via statistics and thus helped with sensitive issues (ie. HIV/AIDS, abuse, sexual orientation)

The ESPC uses statistics in many of their reports. These statistics can effect change but also provide a level of anonymity to those who may not feel comfortable talking about their particular situation.

Source: http://www.edmspc.com/.