Toronto and Region

Toronto differs from its metropolitan region in urban form, housing market characteristics and population composition. Despite the ongoing shift of population to the region, Toronto continues to be home to a significant proportion of socially and economically vulnerable population groups.

Toronto and Region In 2006 Toronto included: –65% of GTA low income children under age six –72% of GTA tenant households –64% of seniors Ages 85 and over –58% of GTA lone parent families –61% of GTA low income families –52% of GTA immigrants and 67% of recent immigrants –75% of GTA households receiving Social Assistance –40% of GTA households with income of $100,000 or more

Low Income Characteristics

Low Income Characteristics % of economic families, 41% of unattached individuals and 25 % of all persons were living with Before Tax income below the LICO in This reflects 134,247 families, 165,156 unattached individuals and 604, 048 persons in total. Low income persons in Toronto were more likely than the rest of the population to be female, a visible minority person, a recent immigrant, living in lone parent family and relying on precarious work.

Toronto and Other Jurisdictions In 2006, Toronto comprised 13% of all low income persons in Canada, 35% of those in Ontario and 62% of those in the GTA Low income rates for Toronto were double those for Canada, Ontario and the rest of the Toronto region. Among major Canadian cities, low income rates were highest in Montreal, followed by Vancouver, Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Calgary.

Low Income Trends

Low Income Trends, Before-tax low income rates improved from before moving upward as economic growth slowed following the “tech bubble” collapse, 9-11 and SARS. In 2006, low income economic families and all persons were 7% and 9% above 2001 levels. From , the number of low income persons in the rest of the GTA increased by 30%.

Labour Force and Employment Forty-three percent of low income persons ages 15 and over were engaged in paid employment in Low income persons fare poorly with regard to labour force participation, unemployment and access to full-time jobs. Participation rates for low income men and women were 15% and 28% lower than the comparable non-low income population. Unemployment rates were twice as high

Labour Force and Employment Among employed low income persons, 2/3 worked part time, part year in The most common occupations were clerical occupations, retail salespersons and sales clerks, transportation equipment operators and occupations in food and beverage service. Median and average personal income for low income persons was 72% and 40% below the population as a whole.

Population Disparities

Age and Sex Before-tax low income rates were higher for children, youth and older women. The income gap between men and women is reflected in both in low income rates and median personal income levels. Low income women outnumbered men in all age groups 15 years and over, the gap widens after age 55, and is largest for persons ages 75 and over. Faced with dramatic growth in the city’s older population as the “baby boom” ages out over the next twenty years, income security for seniors, especially women, is likely to be a critical concern.

Children and Families Nearly one-third of Toronto children were living with low income in The low income rate for children was 1.5 times that of low income persons overall. Among the 131,000 low income children ages 14 and under, 74% were Canadian born, 6% arrived in Canada from and 20% from Sixty-four percent of low income children lived in couple families and 36% lived with a single parent.

Children and Families Lone parent families, families with visible minority or aboriginal persons and those with recent immigrants had low income rates significantly higher than the city average. 53% of lone parent families, 40% of recent immigrant families and 30% of visible minority and aboriginal families were low income in 2006.

Immigrants and Visible Minorities Immigrants and visible minority persons account for a disproportionate number of low income persons in the city. 57% of low income persons were immigrants. 36% arrived in the previous 5 years and 32% between 1991 and 2000 Top countries of origin for low income immigrants in 2006 were China, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Jamaica.

Immigrants and Visible Minorities Low-income rates for immigrants decline the longer they reside in Canada. The rate for people who arrived before 1991 compares to that of non-immigrants.

Immigrants and Visible Minorities One third of visible minority persons had before tax income below the LICO, a rate nearly double that of non-visible minority persons (17%). Among the 383,500 low income visible minority persons living in Toronto, thirty-one percent were black, 19% Chinese, 19% South Asian and 7% Latin American. 63% of low income persons in 2006 were visible minority.

Spatial Patterns

Residential Characteristics The residential pattern of low income in Toronto approximates a U shape emanating both Northeast and Northwest from the Central Area. This pattern reflects the location of the city’s affordable housing, including 91,000 social housing units, and a large number of privately owned rental apartment buildings

Residential Characteristics More than 70% percent of low-income persons lived in rental accommodations and 43% lived in apartment building with five or more stories. The past 20 years has seen strong growth of neighbourhoods with high concentrations of low-income in the “inner suburbs.

Residential Characteristics

Toronto Neighbourhoods Family low income rates ranged from a low of 4% in Princess-Rosethorn to a high of 61% in Regent Park. 32 of Toronto’s 140 neighbourhoods had family low income rates of 25% or more, two more than in Four were in East York, one in Etobicoke, eleven in North York, ten in Scarborough, five in the former City of Toronto, and three in York.

Toronto Neighbourhoods

TORONTO NEIGHBOURHOODS

Toronto Neighbourhoods Neighbourhoods with high family low income rates have significantly larger concentration of visible minority persons, immigrants, and lone parent families, as well as lower labour force participation and higher unemployment.

Recent Trends

The shock of the global recession on the Toronto economy resulted in a downturn in business activity and sharp rise in unemployment beginning in 2008

Recent Trends Evidence of increasing prevalence of low income is reflected in the rise in social assistance cases and growing use of community supports to supplement basic needs.

Recent Trends From October 2007 to October 2010, the City’s social assistance caseload jumped by 29%. Singles increased by 40% and families by 10%. Food bank use in 2010 showed the largest year to year jump since 1995, a fifteen percent increase over Daily Bread attributes this to lingering effects of the recession. Among new food bank clients, 40% reported recent job loss or declining income due to reduced hours of employment.

Concluding Low income is not evenly distributed by population group or by neighbourhood in Toronto. Its prevalence is disproportionate for children, youth, senior women, recent immigrants, visible minority groups and lone parent families. Low income households are becoming more concentrated across Toronto’s inner suburbs as well as in high-rise apartments in relatively more affluent neighbourhoods. The recession has added to already growing need and people are increasingly turning to community services for basic necessities. In the current fiscal environment, the impact of the recession creates even greater challenge to provide appropriate supports to populations in need and, ultimately, to succeed in meeting poverty reduction goals..

For more information contact: Harvey Low City of Toronto Social Development and Administration Division Social Policy Analysis and Research Telephone: