Action for Neighbourhood Change: A Strategy to Build Local Leadership and Bridging Partnerships

1
Action for Neighbourhood ChangeA Strategy to
Build Local Leadership and Bridging
Partnerships

• National RAP Conference
• Vancouver, BC
• Tuesday, February 20, 2007

2
Why Bridging Partnerships Matter

• Local change happens when connections and
  partnerships are made between community members
  and decision makers
• These bridging connections are the social
  capital Robert Putman refers to in Bowling Alone
  which are so important for bolstering collective
  and positive community change
• They are the partnerships which Xavier de Souza
  Briggs describes as the intermediaries between
  the grasstops and the grassroots, which are
  necessary to get things done

3
Purpose of the Presentation

• Background on UWGTs changing roles and its
  emerging interest in community engagement,
  neighbourhood renewal, and collaborative activity
• Trends that are driving these new roles
• The Action for Neighbourhood Change Initiative
• What it is
• How it will impact newcomers and their
  integration into neighbourhood life
• Where it is being implemented
• The results that we hope to achieve

4
UWGTs Traditional Role

• Membership-based organization, with 149 members
• Includes entire spectrum of social services
  agencies children, youth, seniors,
  multi-service, counselling, employment, shelter,
  and newcomer settlement and integration
• Annual fundraising campaign annual allocation to
  member and grant recipient agencies (59M in
  2007)
• Fund core organizational costs on on-going basis,
  providing stability to the 147 member agencies
• New funding on top of core distributed largely
  on a responsive basis i.e. type and rationale
  for funding is defined by member organizations

5
UWGTs New Directions

• Still committed to being a membership-based
  organization, and providing stability to a
  network of member agencies
• In terms of newcomer services, this means
  continuing to fund settlement integration
  supports, employment services, and language
  training
• Going forward, UWGT wants to achieve greater
  impact beyond our financial investment in
  programs
• UWGT will do this by bringing together our
  research, public policy, capacity building,
  community engagement, and collaborative building
  skills and resources and targeting them in ways
  that will improve local conditions in high-need,
  underserved neighbourhoods in the inner suburbs

6
Why is UWGT Making this Change?

• In the donor world
• Greater competition for donor dollars
• Area of greatest growth is among large donors,
  who want assurances that their donations are
  having significant impact
• On the socio-political front
• Fraying social safety net
• Growing social needs

7
Changes in the Public Policy Realm

• Post-1995 changes to the social safety net in
  Ontario
• Cancellation of the non-profit housing program
• Closing of settlement houses
• 21.5 reduction in welfare rates
• Privatization of certain kinds of social services
• Downloading of responsibility for social programs
  to municipalities, without adequate resources to
  cover costs
• Amalgamation and formation of new City of Toronto

8
Changes in Socio-Economic Profile of Toronto

• Profound geographic shift in the socio-economic
  profile of the City of Toronto
• Our inner suburbs, originally built for
  middle-income families, are now home to much
  lower-income households (includes much of the
  former cities of Scarborough, North York,
  Etobicoke, East York and York)
• The income segregation in Toronto today is stark,
  with the citys wealthy concentrated in a central
  corridor, surrounded on three sides by the less
  well off.

9
(No Transcript)
10
(No Transcript)
11
Changes in Socio-Economic Profile of Toronto

• Not only are the inner suburbs relatively less
  well off, compared to the Toronto CMA average,
  the actual income levels in these areas are
  declining
• Since 1970, most of these areas experienced a 20
  or greater drop in real incomes
• There has also been a profound growth in the
  incidence of concentrated neighbourhood poverty
• The number of higher poverty neighbourhoods
  approximately doubled every ten years, from 30 in
  1981, to 66 in 1991, to 120 in 2001.
• Three-quarters of these (92) are in the inner
  suburbs

12
(No Transcript)
13
(No Transcript)
14
(No Transcript)
15
(No Transcript)
16
Changes in Settlement Patterns

• 43 of all new immigrants and refugees settle in
  the Toronto CMA
• There is a direct link between the changing
  income landscape and newcomer settlement patterns
• 40 years ago, newcomers settled in the downtown
  area of the old City of Toronto and up a
  north-south corridor to the Jane-Finch area
• Today, much of the downtown has been gentrified
  and is no longer a first home to many newcomers
• Newcomers are now settling in the inner suburbs

17
(No Transcript)
18
(No Transcript)
19
(No Transcript)
20
Residents of Higher Poverty Neighbourhoods

• Newcomers
• 1981 newcomers accounted for one-half of all
  poor families
• 2001 they accounted for two-thirds
• Visible minorities
• 1981 visible minorities accounted for slightly
  more than one-third of all poor families
• 2001 they accounted for over three-quarters

21
Our Challenge

• Growing segregation and racialization of poverty
  in the inner suburbs
• Lack of support services and social
  infrastructure to meet the new needs
• Lack of connections among neighbours and lack of
  resident voice and influence over local affairs
• Poorer health and education outcomes and more
  insecure employment
• Evidence of broader neighbourhood decline
• Proliferation of fringe lending businesses
• Youth gang and gun violence
• Homeowner flight

22
Action for Neighbourhood Change (ANC)

• ANC is a key component of UWGTs Neighbourhood
  Strategy
• It is a neighbourhood engagement initiative,
  which aims to empower and build the capacity of
  local communities to improve neighbourhood
  conditions.
• Our vision is of strong neighbourhoods where
  engaged residents, local business, faith
  communities, service providers and funders work
  together to build vibrant neighbourhoods, foster
  cohesion, and build a strong network of
  neighbourhood infrastructure and services

23
ANC - Objectives

• 5 primary objectives
• Create a resident-led neighbourhood association,
  that is representative of the local population
• Mobilize local residents around a common agenda
  for change
• Develop plans and priorities and a strategy for
  bringing that agenda for change to fruition
• Enhance individual and collaborative leadership
  capacity within the neighbourhood association
• Build connections and partnerships between the
  neighbourhood association and decision makers

24
ANC Roll-Out

• ANC began in 2005, as a neighbourhood
  revitalization pilot project in 5 Canadian
  cities, funded by the federal government
• Led by United Way of Canada, in partnership with
  the Caledon Institute of Social Policy, Tamarack
  An Institute for Community Engagement, the
  National Film Board, and the United Ways in the
  five cities
• United Way of Greater Toronto now rolling out ANC
  in 13 priority neighbourhoods
• In some of these neighbourhoods newcomers account
  for two-thirds of the population

25
ANC Components of the Initiative

• Funding for a Community engagement site team
• Funding for animators who speak the local
  languages and ensure outreach to, and
  participation of all ethno-cultural and language
  groups
• Community Builders a resident leadership
  training initiative to support ANC
• Quick Start Fund to seed early projects that
  encourage residents participation

26
ANC Benefits for Newcomers

• Connects them to the life of their community and
  their neighbourhoods
• Increases their opportunities for civic
  engagement
• Helps them understand and navigate the systems
  that impact neighbourhoods
• Enhances the appropriateness and accessibility of
  existing and new services and infrastructure
• Builds their leadership capacities and skills

27
ANC What will Success Look Like?

• We will know that ANC has been a success when
  residents influence on neighbourhood conditions
  has increased
• More residents are involved in the life of their
  communities
• Capable leaders are able to advocate for
  neighbourhood improvements
• Local politicians, police, schools, and business
  respond to the needs and priorities of the local
  population

28
ANC What will Success Look Like?

• We will know that ANC has been a success when the
  quality of neighbourhood life is enhanced
• Residents have a stronger pride in their
  neighbourhood
• Greater connection among neighbours
• Newcomers have increased opportunity to connect
  to and participate in community life
• Streets and public places are people-friendly,
  safe, clean, properly lit and well maintained
• Playgrounds are accessible and well used

29
ANC What will Success Look Like?

• We will know that ANC has been a success when the
  neighbourhood has greater access to resources
• A range of local business, shops and services
  meet local resident needs
• Cultural, social and recreational services are
  accessible and responsive to local residents
• New services and infrastructure are created to
  fill gaps
• External funding is better aligned to meet the
  service and infrastructure needs of the
  neighbourhood

30
What Actual Success has been Achieved in
Scarborough Village

• Urdu speaking immigrants from Pakistan taking
  leadership on local safety issues
• Bengali Social Club and South Asian Womens Club
  now meeting regularly in local parks and
  recreation facility
• Service Canada Employment Resource Centre
  relocated to neighbourhood
• Inclusion of after school international language
  program for both Urdu speaking and Tamil
  residents
• Urdu speaking and Bengali residents meeting with
  local councillor on range of municipal issues
  snow clearing, lighting, sidewalk maintenance,
  policing
• Creation of multi-service hub, with parenting
  program with Tamil and Urdu interpreters, Tamil
  heart health cooking program