Poverty Awareness and Action

Despite St. Albert’s perception as an affluent community, nearly 20 per cent of local households earn incomes below $60,000 per year.

A family of four with a household income of $53,140 or less is considered low-income in St. Albert.

Poverty Lives Here

For many, poverty is the inability to maintain a standard of daily living that will ensure an individual or family’s overall health and well-being. The effects of poverty are not limited to those who are poor — poverty and social inequality decrease the overall health of a society. There is impact to the community and from the recent Community Social Needs Assessment (CSNA), St. Albert residents identified “affordability of programs and services” as a major concern. When a segment of the population faces barriers to economic opportunity, access to health care, social supports, food and education, a community cannot reach its full potential.

Graphic courtesy of Alberta Living Wage Network

The living wage reflects what people need to earn to cover the actual costs of living in their community. When the cost-of-living increases at a faster rate than incomes, more low and modest-income families are at risk of poverty. St. Albert’s living wage increased from $22.40 per hour in 2022 to $23.80 per hour in 2023.

Who Does Poverty Impact?

Poverty is disproportionately experienced by unattached individuals, Indigenous peoples, racialized persons or groups, those affected by disability, recent newcomers to Canada, women, people who identify as 2SLGTBQIAP+ , children, and lone-parent, female-led families.

This is consistent with what stakeholder respondents to the 2023 CSNA survey reported as the most underserved groups in St. Albert.

Living wage must be enough to cover food, clothing, shelter, transportation, childcare, other household costs, tuition and healthcare.

Graphic courtesy of Alberta Living Wage Network

17% of St. Albert households spend more than half of their income on rent and utilities.

How Can I Get Involved?

You can take action to prevent and alleviate poverty by:

increasing community, government, and leader awareness,
supporting social serving organizations with your time and/or resources,
joining a local awareness and advocacy coalition/group in your area,
becoming a living wage employer,
supporting affordable, supportive, and transitional housing in your community, and
help the City of St. Albert make a Period Promise Pledge.

St. Albert Poverty Talks (Spring 2024)

Poverty 101 From A St. Albert Lens

Date: March 14, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Location: Forsyth Hall, St. Albert Public Library (downtown)
Organized by: City of St. Albert Family and Community Support Services
Registration: Free; register here

Housing Stories and Solutions

Date: March 21, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Location: Forsyth Hall, St. Albert Public Library (downtown)
Facilitated by: Housing Coalition of St. Albert
Registration: Free; register here

What Is A Living Wage?

Date: March 28, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Location: Forsyth Hall, St. Albert Public Library (downtown)
Presented by: Alberta Living Wage Network
Registration: Free; register here

Reflect and Thrive: Mental Wellness

Date: April 4, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Location: Forsyth Hall, St. Albert Public Library (downtown)
Led by: St. Albert Mental Wellness Table
Registration: Free; register here