Enough for All

VCC works with community partners, Enough for All Champions, and academia to conduct community-based research and provide balanced analyses that build capacity and inform policymakers' decision-making. Our policy and research take a systems approach, centred on lived experience and the root causes of poverty. Below is a list of our community-based research.

Expand the items below to learn about our research and policy recommendations.

Enough for All Well-Being Dashboard (2025-Present)
An interactive dashboard developed with YYC Data that tracks Calgary’s progress on poverty reduction and community well-being.
Community Wellbeing Report (2023)
A deeper look at what poverty means beyond income, using data and community perspectives to tell the story behind Calgary’s well-being indicators.
Calgary Municipal Ward Poverty Profiles (2023)
Ward-level data highlighting how poverty shows up across Calgary’s 14 municipal wards.
Poverty Snapshots (2018–2022)
A series examining how people experience poverty in Calgary over time.
Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 (2021)
Lived-experience research exploring how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the daily lives of people living in poverty.
The Risk and Depth of Poverty in Calgary (2020)
A socio-demographic profile examining who is at risk of poverty in Calgary, including shallow and deep poverty.

Calgary’s Living Wage – Annual Update (2008 – Present)
Annual calculation and publication of Calgary’s to reflect the real cost of living in the city.
Preventing Homelessness by Closing the Social Assistance Gap (2025)
This brief examines the depth of the affordability crisis for Calgarians on low incomes and the policy actions that can be taken to adjust income supports to prevent homelessness.
Living Wage Outcome Harvest (2025)
Research conducted with KRD Consulting Group and the Alberta Living Wage Network examining the impact of VCC’s living wage initiatives as a poverty-reduction tool.
Liveable Incomes: Improving Alberta’s AISH Program (2023)
Policy recommendations to strengthen Alberta’s Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program by improving eligibility, benefit adequacy, and accountability.
A Guaranteed Basic Income for Canadians (2022)
A co-authored study exploring the feasibility and potential cost of a guaranteed basic income in Canada.
Getting It Right: A Critical Look at Alberta’s Income Support Program (2021)
An examination of eligibility rules, benefit adequacy, and how employment income affects income supports.
Income Support Policy Brief (2020)
A concise brief identifying opportunities to improve Alberta’s Income and Employment Support programs.

How Many Housed Calgarians Are at Risk of Homelessness? (2023)
Estimates how many housed Calgarians are at extreme risk of losing their housing, highlighting the scale of housing instability in the city.
A Path to Recovery: Growing Alberta’s Affordable Housing Stock (2022)
Policy recommendations developed with the Social Policy Collaborative to support the Government of Alberta’s commitment to expanding affordable housing and recovery-oriented supports.
What You Need to Know About Stronger Foundations (2021)
VCC’s analysis of Alberta’s 10-year affordable housing strategy, examining its goals, gaps, and implications for housing access.

Examining Calgary’s Emergency Food Assistance System (2021–2022)
Research assessing Calgary’s emergency food assistance system, including a follow-up report on system gaps, pressures, and opportunities for improvement.

The State of Gig Work in Alberta: Trends, Challenges, and Solutions (2025)
Research report from the Calgary Social Policy Collaborative examining the state of gig work in Alberta and offers recommendations for building a more resilient gig economy.

No Place to Go (2024)
Research report examining homelessness and social disorder on Calgary’s transit system based on 160 research papers, local data on social disorder and death from substance use, and interviews with shelter clients, transit workers, police officers, and community outreach staff. Print-friendly version available here.

The Calgary Social Policy Collaborative (SPC) is a group of community organizations committed to working together to inform the development and implementation of public policy that improves the economic and social well-being of Albertans.

Research & Policy

What we do

Latest research

Alberta's Gig Economy: Trends, Challenges and Solutions

Read what over 1,000 people shared for their vision for Calgary's future.

How has the living wage impacted employers and employees in Calgary and Alberta?

Vital data demonstrating Calgary’s progress toward achieving its poverty-reduction goals

Research and Publications

Well-Being and Poverty Metrics

Liveable Incomes

Housing

Food Security

Employment

Transportation

Collaborating for change

Related Resources

The State of Gig Work in Alberta: Trends, Challenges, and Solutions

Collective Action to Reduce Poverty: Enough for All & VCC Evaluation 2024

Your Voice, Our Future: What We Understand Report

Vibrant Communities Calgary Election Platform 2025

Preventing Homelessness by Closing the Social Assistance Gap

Report to Community

Financial Statements

What We're Understanding (So Far): Keeping a Pulse on What's Important

Social Policy Collaborative: Federal Election Platform

Living Wage Outcomes Harvest