The Calgary Foundation’s latest annual quality of life report suggests that factors ranging from economic security and public safety, Calgarians’ outlook on life in the city is shifting.
“This year’s report tells a story of a city split in two directions — the haves and the have nots,” Eva Friesen, the organziation’s president and CEO, wrote in the report.
“We are a city whose remarkable progress has left some of its people in peril.”
Of 1,000 Calgarians surveyed, 61 per cent rated their quality of life as good or excellent — a drop of 14 per cent since 2020.
About 35 per cent of respondents were optimistic about Calgary’s economy, down from 50 per cent the year before.
“(That is) certainly one of the most significant drops in my memory,” Taylor Barrie, the vice-president of communications at the Calgary Foundation, said in an interview with Global News Morning Calgary on Thursday after the report was released.
“We’ve seen a significant decline in overall quality of life.”
The survery found 43 per cent of Calgarians feel stress related to financial issues, compared to 33 per cent in 2021. Those numbers were higher for people between the ages of 18 and 24.
Twenty-eight per cent of Calgarians are stressed about housing and 80 per cent of renters who filled out the survey said they had a rent increase in 2024.
The survey found 54 per cent of people who are employed full-time cannot find suitable accommodation, up from 40 per cent a year ago.
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Among homeowners, 38 per cent said they were making “sacrifices” to pay their mortgages, up from 33 per cent a year earlier.
The survey found 48 per cent of people aged 55 to 64 cannot afford retirement while 28 per cent of people aged 65 or older cannot afford retirement.
The survey also found being able to afford nutritious food is becoming a growing concern for many: 39 per cent skip meals to ensure their kids can eat, 52 per cent serve smaller portions, 63 per cent serve meals that aren’t nutritious and 26 per cent use community-based food services for their kids.
“I think affordability continues to be a really critical issue this year,” Barrie said. “Calgiarians are not particularly optimistic about the future of this city when it comes to the economy.”
The survey results also suggest a slight decline in mental health: 56 per cent rated their mental health as good or excellent, down from 59 per cent in 2023. Twenty-nine per cent of respondents reported not having timely access to mental health services and supports, while 32 per cent said they cannot find a family doctor.
Public safety is also a growing concern, according to the report. Sixty-seven per cent of respondents said they are concerned about safety in the city and 78 per cent said they do not feel safe walking alone downtown after dark.
Sixty per cent of racialized Calgarians said they think racism is growing in the city, a sentiment shared by 48 per cent of non-racialized people living in Calgary. Eighty-seven per cent of racialized respondents said they have experienced discrimination based on religion, ethnicity, skin colour, culture, language, accent, gender or sexual orientation at least some of the time.
“I think this is a big shift this year,” Barrie said of the overall findings of the 2024 report. “Calgarians are really struggling.”
She added that she believes many of the concerns raised are national issues, not just issues for people in Calgary.
“I think for the everyday Calgarian, this is a really good tool for having some critical conversations about some big systemic issues we’re facing.”
METHODOLOGY: The Calgary Foundation says survey respondents were randomly selected based on demographic quotes. “For comparative purposes, a probability sample of 1,000 results in a margin of error of t-3.10 per cent , 19 times out of 20.”
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