Toronto’s Vital Signs 2016
Every year, Moorelands’ partner, the Toronto Foundation, releases their Toronto’s Vital Signs® Report: a consolidated snapshot identifying the trends and issues affecting the quality of life in our city – progress we should be proud of and challenges that need to addressed.
Click here to read the report in full
Some Highlights from ‘Toronto’s Vital Signs’ 2016:
Youth are experiencing more stress, more health issues and less jobs
- As you already know, Child poverty in Toronto is at an all-time high at 29% but in the communities we serve that is closer to 50%.
- There are over 80,000 families on the current wait list for community housing
- Youth unemployment is up to 18% (for more than 10yrs its been over 15% – a chronic lack of opportunity)
- Youth crime rates are down, 48% lower than the national average or 1,496/100,000 charged
- 9% youth say their mental health is good or very good, but we are below the national average of 73.9%
- Licensed & regulated child care can accommodate fewer than 20% of our children aged newborn – 12, more need for BLAST
Health – Lower income Torontonians have poorer health; how financial inequities reflect on health
- Youth Obesity is greater in Toronto at 27%, than nationally at 23%
- Diabetes is higher in impoverished communities than wealthy communities and child diabetes rates are up to 7% from 4.9% (2003)
The Working Poor
- Average household incomes in the poorest 10% of Toronto neighbourhoods increased 2%, whereas in the richest 10% of neighbourhoods, they increased 80%.
- Toronto is becoming Canada’s working poverty capital, with working poverty increasing from 8.2% of the working-age population in the Region in 2006 to 10.7% in 2012 – the highest among Canada’s 10 largest metros.
- Two working parents with two young children need to each earn at least $15.52 per hour just to make ends meet.
- Since 2008, the cost of childcare has increased 30%, rent 13% and public transit 36%.
- Over 1.5 million people in the Region earn less than $21/hour.