Introduction
PROJECT
From 2021-2024, Campaign 2000, Citizens for Public Justice and Canada Without Poverty co-led a national community-based research project that engaged communities experiencing poverty to recommend indicators measuring progress towards eradicating poverty and achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
This project, Localizing Canada’s Commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals,builds on Campaign 2000’s ongoing monitoring of government progress towards ending child and family poverty, aiming to address the limitations of the Canadian Indicator Framework for tracking progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 1: No Poverty.
Through the project, the research team held 17 community conversations with 227 people affected by poverty and intersecting forms of marginalization in every province and territory. The project website hosts summaries of each community conversation.
This local framework is based on the knowledge and experiences shared by participants in the Montreal community conversations, co-hosted by ATD Quart Monde on May 5, 6 and 12, 2023.
FINDINGS
Measurement of progress towards poverty eradication in Canada should reflect the lived realities of people experiencing poverty. The indicators used in the Canadian Indicator Framework for measuring progress towards SDG 1: No Poverty are the Market Basket Measure (MBM) and the prevalence of asset resilience.[i] Campaign 2000 report cards and early research from this project highlighted the limitations of these two indicators to track progress towards SDG 1.[ii] [iii]
The project set out to address these gaps with an emphasis on localizing measures of poverty reduction and centring the knowledge and experience of lived experts. Local visions of communities free from poverty emerged. The frameworks drawn from this research reflect participants’ subjective, multidimensional experience of poverty, which is wide-ranging, affects every aspect of life, and differs place to place and community to community. The frameworks also reflect poverty as a violation of human rights resulting in short- and long- term physical, mental, spiritual, and social harm.
These findings highlight the importance of community-based, culturally relevant, localized measures and indicators for ending poverty and the need to urgently recognize and address the systemic intersecting power structures that create and deepen inequities and experiences of poverty.
In addition to the 17 local frameworks, the findings are illustrated in a National Community-Based Indicator Framework, intended to supplement the Canadian Indicator Framework. It outlines dimensions, measures, indicators, and data sources for poverty eradication (including recommendations and gaps, where no indicators exist) that reflect the knowledge and experiences of lived experts and community organizations across the country.
While the findings depict a broad range of expertise from across the country, they remain a snapshot of 227 people, in 17 places, at one moment in time, and further engagement and community-based research is required to continue to centre lived experts in the work of poverty eradication and achieving the 2030 Agenda.
UNDERSTANDING THE FRAMEWORK
The entire framework falls under Sustainable Development Goal 1: End Poverty in All its Forms Everywhere.
The framework is organized by 12 interdependent dimensions of communities with no poverty. These dimensions are interconnected and non-hierarchical – all connect and contribute to the multifaceted way that people experience poverty in Canada. Many of the indicators could fall under multiple dimensions, but for the sake of length, they are each only shown under one.
Dimensions:
- Social inclusion and community connection
- Equality, justice, and freedom
- Joy, happiness, and hope for the future
- Income and material security
- Decent work
- Education for all
- Right to housing is realized
- Food security and sovereignty
- Health and mental health
- Equitable access to services, programs, and supports
- Connected and supported families and children
- Accountable and engaged governments and institutions
In each dimension, measures refer to qualities of communities with no poverty.
Indicators are statistical definitions of the measures.
As living documents, the local frameworks offer Example Indicators and Data Sources. The local frameworks are intended to complement the National Framework, highlight local priorities, and demonstrate opportunities for continued work in localizing measurement towards ending poverty in Canada. They are accompanied by living action recommendation documents.
Social inclusion and community connection
Community members feel valued and connected, have opportunities to participate in society and culture, care for and support each other, and live in harmony.
Measure | Indicator | Data Source |
Everyone is valued | ||
People share with each other | ||
Everyone can contribute to the community according to their strengths | Rate of community involvement and volunteer work | Indicators of Well-Being In Quebec, no data yet available |
Community members help and support each other | ||
Communities have solidarity with each other | ||
People share information with each other | ||
Communities have gatherings and share meals | ||
People are empathetic to each other | ||
Feeling like people care |
Equality, justice, and freedom
Everyone’s human rights are upheld. Communities are free from systemic inequality and injustice, discrimination, oppression, violence, and trauma, and the harms of colonization.
Measure | Indicator | Data Source |
Poverty is not disproportionately experienced by marginalized communities | Low Income Measure, disaggregated | Statistics Canada, Census of Population |
Freedom from discrimination and exclusion | ||
Freedom from prejudice | ||
Wealth and income are distributed equitably | ||
Freedom from discrimination for living in social housing | ||
Freedom from discrimination against people who experience poverty | ||
First Nations people are connected to their culture and supported to heal from the harms of colonization | ||
Freedom from stereotypes about low-income neighbourhoods | ||
Everyone is equal | ||
Everyone is paid equally | ||
Military and weapons spending is low | ||
The country is peaceful | ||
Freedom from violence | ||
Freedom from exploitation | ||
Freedom from capitalism and consumerism | ||
Freedom from drug trafficking | ||
Freedom from gambling, casinos, and lotteries |
Joy, happiness and hope for the future
Everyone is able to be happy, feel ease, and have the time and freedom to enjoy life. People have hope, can imagine the future, and don’t feel trapped in cycles of poverty and isolation.
Measure | Indicator | Data Source |
Freedom from misery | ||
Feeling hopeful |
Income and material security
Incomes reflect the cost of living. People have the ability to pay all their bills, meet all their basic needs, have some flexibility to not live paycheque to paycheque, and are able to thrive.
Measure | Indicator | Data Source |
Social assistance reflects the cost of living | ||
Everyone can meet their basic needs | ||
Everyone can buy clothing | ||
Nobody needs to panhandle |
Decent work
People can work in jobs with a living wage, safe work conditions, opportunities for growth, and job training. Work is fulfilling and allows people to use their skills.
Measure | Indicator | Data Source |
Jobs are low-barrier and do not arbitrarily require years of experience | ||
Everyone has a job who wants one | ||
Nobody needs to collect cans to get by | ||
Being able to work because you want to, not just to survive |
Education for all
Everyone has equitable access to affordable, quality education, training, and learning supports.
Measure | Indicator | Data Source |
Children with learning disabilities are supported | ||
School classrooms are in good condition | ||
Teachers teach up-to-date material | ||
Children have the supports and resources they need to complete homework | ||
Schools are well-funded and offer good quality education |
Right to housing is realized
Everyone has a home. There is adequate, affordable secure housing for all, free from discrimination, and reflecting the needs of communities and neighbourhoods.
Measure | Indicator | Data Source |
Everyone has a home | ||
Housing is affordable for everyone | ||
Housing is treated as a right, not a commodity | ||
Everyone has access to stable, secure housing | ||
Freedom from eviction and renoviction | ||
Housing is safe and in good repair | ||
Housing is up to code and legal | ||
Everyone has access to social housing who needs it | ||
Social housing is in good repair | ||
Everyone is free from overcrowded housing | ||
Rent is affordable for all | ||
Landlords keep rents consistent and stable | ||
Ability to move without financial repercussions | ||
Everyone has access to emergency shelters when needed | ||
Seniors have access to affordable housing |
Food sovereignty and security
Everyone has access to nutritious, affordable, culturally appropriate food; the ability to hunt, harvest, grow, and share food according to cultural values; and the freedom to choose what they want to eat.
Measure | Indicator | Data Source |
Nobody is hungry | ||
Everybody can afford groceries | ||
People share meals and eat together | ||
Everyone can eat nutritiously and well | ||
Freedom from having to use a food bank | ||
Everyone knows how to cook | ||
Everyone is fed |
Health and mental health
Measure | Indicator | Data Source |
Freedom from addiction | ||
Freedom from suicide | ||
Everyone is healthy | ||
Everyone has access to a bathroom | ||
Everyone has access to mental health supports | ||
Health care is preventative | ||
Mental health care is preventative | ||
Nobody smokes |
Equitable access to services, programs, and supports
Services and supports are accessible and coordinated, with no arbitrary bureaucratic barriers or discrimination. Community organizations are resourced and are by communities, for communities.
Measure | Indicator | Data Source |
Organizations support people’s dignity and humanity | ||
Everyone has access to free public transportation | ||
Social workers and service providers are adequately trained | ||
Services and programs are well-communicated to the community | ||
Families experiencing poverty have access to services and supports | ||
Community organizations are no longer needed | ||
Community centres are well-funded | Dollar per person support for community organizations that promote social inclusion and reduce inequality | Indicators of Well-Being in Quebec, Statistics Canada |
All neighbourhoods have community centres | ||
Community organizations have power to make change | ||
Community organizations bring people together | ||
Community members refer each other to supports |
Connected and supported families and children
Families are supported to stay together and spend time together. The child welfare system is equitable, trauma-informed, and reflects needs of children and families. Everyone has access to affordable childcare.
Measure | Indicator | Data Source |
Children are free from abuse | ||
Children are free from poverty | ||
Families are supported to exit poverty and be connected | ||
People are supported to exit poverty during pregnancy | ||
Youth are healthy and motivated | ||
Freedom from family violence | ||
Staff in the child welfare system are well-trained in trauma-informed care | ||
Parents are supported, not judged | ||
Families are supported to stay together |
Accountable and engaged governments and institutions
Governments are accountable to communities. Policy-making is community-engaged, trauma-informed, responsive, and based on local needs and values.
Measure | Indicator | Data Source |
Governments and policy-makers are connected to people experiencing poverty and understand their lived realities | ||
Policies reflect local needs and values | ||
Governments recognize work of community organizations and advocates | ||
People with lived experience of poverty are in positions of political power | ||
City budgets support local priorities and projects | ||
Government salaries are reasonable compared to the average person’s salary | ||
Government spending is responsible and equitable |
[i] Statistics Canada. (2021). The Canadian Indicator Framework for the Sustainable Development Goals. Statistics Canada. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-26-0004/112600042021001-eng.htm
[ii] Campaign 2000. Pandemic Lessons: Ending Child and Family Poverty is Possible. February 14, 2023. https://campaign2000.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/English-Pandemic-Lessons_Ending-Child-and-Family-Poverty-is-Possible_2022-National-Report-Card-on-Child-and-Family-Poverty.pdf
[iii] Barrie, H., & Sarangi, L. (2022). Literature Review: Localizing Canada’s Commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals. Campaign 2000: End Child and Family Poverty. https://sdg.campaign2000.ca/wp-content/uploads/Campaign-2000-Localizing-SDGs-Project-Literature-Review-May-2022.pdf