Thursday, August 4, 2011 at 9:05AM Social Policy
MANDATE:
- to report on matters of concern in the field of labor, immigration, homelessness, health and other social issues as they relate to business
- to recommend action/policy to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce
- to make submissions to appropriate government representatives
For meeting times, please contact Anita Huberman (anita@businessinsurrey.com) or Ray Hudson (ray@businessinsurrey.com).
NOTE: For related Surrey Board of Trade media coverage and articles go to the bottom of this page.
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1. The issue:
Homelessness - Reallocating federal funding to develop a national plan to end homelessness
What it’s about:
Homelessness is bad for business and the federal government does not have a national plan to end homelessness in Canada. Homelessness has a direct financial impact on businesses as it deters customers, damages employee recruitment and retention, harms tourism and discourages companies from setting up offices in areas with a visible homeless population. For many municipalities and business communities in Canada, homelessness is a real problem that requires expenditures on security upgrades to maintain the safety of staff and property. Businesses cannot realize their full potential while homelessness exists in their areas, due to reduced revenues through lost sales. The federal government needs to develop a new approach, which includes the reallocation of resources to develop a national plan that mandates the federal government to end homelessness within a reasonable timeframe.
- Canada is the only G8 country without a national housing strategy
- It is estimated that homelessness costs Canadian taxpayers between $4.5 and $6 billion annually, inclusive of health care, criminal justice, social services and emergency shelter costs. Between 1993 and 2004, homelessness cost Canadian taxpayers an estimated $49.5 billion, across all services and jurisdictions.
- It is estimated that the homeless population in Canada ranges between 150,000 and 300,000. Local surveys in communities like Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton, Ottawa and Victoria all report that homelessness continues to be on the rise.
- A 2008 homelessness count in Metro Vancouver indicated a 22 percent increase since 2005; a 2009 count in Toronto indicated an 8 percent increase since 2006; a 2008 count in Calgary indicated a 15 percent increase since 2006; a 2008 count in Halifax indicated a 370 percent increase since 2004; a 2007 count in Victoria indicated a 16 percent increase since 2005.
Homelessness is a business deterrent that negatively affects commercial activity, harms tourism and deters investment. In fact, many businesses have incurred extra costs in response to increased homelessness activity in their area.
- The Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association (DVBIA) references aggressive panhandling, open drug use, trespassing, and sleeping on private property as business deterrents. More specifically, the DVBIA estimates that Vancouver hotels have lost convention contracts worth $500,000 due to increased homelessness and visible poverty. Vancouver civic theatres, the City of Vancouver and local businesses have had to spend money to increase private security to guard against aggressive panhandling.
- Hotel Vancouver has spent $60,000 to upgrade hotel security systems and increase outdoor lighting. Bathrooms available to the public have been closed after dark due to homeless people using them as a place to sleep or use drugs.
A national plan to end homelessness will provide the necessary leadership to allow the federal government to measure the success of investments on homelessness programs.
- In 2009, the federal government invested a total of $3.57 billion in direct spending on homelessness and affordable housing initiatives, but Canada lacks a framework to assess the overall value and impact of these investments.
- Without a national homelessness plan, efforts to meet the needs of the 1 in 4 Canadian households at risk of becoming homeless remain fragmented and uncoordinated.
- Effective performance management and accountability begin by setting a clear direction and assigning accountability for results. Defining goals and objectives to address homelessness establishes a frame of reference where programs can be appropriately designed and integrated, and roles and responsibilities can be defined. These are typically set out in a comprehensive plan.
- The Conference Board of Canada insists that Canada must engage in more precise targeting and establish more achievable objectives in addressing homelessness. In 2009, the Board called for a reduction of the homeless from approximately 150,000 to 100,000 by 2015.
Housing the homeless as a first priority is a cost-effective approach to reducing homelessness. Case study evidence shows that vulnerable and at-risk homeless families are more responsive to interventions and social services support after they are in their own housing, rather than while living in temporary/transitional facilities or housing programs. A national plan to end homelessness should adopt a housing-first approach as a best-practice model for reducing homelessness.
- On average, each homeless person in British Columbia costs the public system in excess of $55,000 per year, while the provision of adequate housing with supportive services is estimated to reduce this cost to $37,000 per year. This results in an overall cost avoidance of about $211 million per year in BC alone.
- The cost avoidance in health care and provincial corrections institution costs are more than sufficient to offset the capital costs and the costs of providing housing supports to those who are absolutely homeless.
- In the absence of a purposeful, planned response, chronically homeless individuals consume services in the emergency and institutional systems: police, ambulance, psychiatric hospitals and emergency wards. Costs of these emergency responses are four-to-ten times higher per day than the cost of providing transitional or supportive housing.
- A cost analysis on the effectiveness of emergency, institutional, shelter, supportive and permanent housing services for the homeless in Vancouver, Toronto, Halifax and Montreal indicate a consistent pattern of cost-avoidance; that acute emergency, tertiary psychiatric care and incarceration involves significantly higher costs than various forms of transitional, supportive and permanent affordable housing.
What the Surrey Board of Trade did:
Recommendations submitted by the Surrey Board of Trade with the Burnaby Board of Trade: That the federal government:
1. Reallocate funds, from within the federal budget envelope, to develop a national plan to
end homelessness.
2. Establish a reasonable target for the reduction of homelessness in Canada and set a
reasonable timeframe to accomplish this goal.
3. Maintain the housing-first approach of creating and sustaining affordable and supportive
housing as a first priority, in the development of the national plan.
4. Consult with other levels of government and community partners in the development of
the national plan.
The result: Ongoing observation and advocacy
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2. The issue:
Homelessness – Surrey Business Action Plan
What it’s about:
Homelessness is bad for business and the federal government does not have a national plan to end homelessness in Canada. Homelessness has a direct financial impact on businesses as it deters customers, damages employee recruitment and retention, harms tourism and discourages companies from setting up offices in areas with a visible homeless population. For many municipalities and business communities in Canada, homelessness is a real problem that requires expenditures on security upgrades to maintain the safety of staff and property. Businesses cannot realize their full potential while homelessness exists in their areas, due to reduced revenues through lost sales. The federal government needs to develop a new approach, which includes the reallocation of resources to develop a national plan that mandates the federal government to end homelessness within a reasonable timeframe.
What the Surrey Board of Trade did:
SURREY ACTION PLAN ON HOMELESSNESS
What can Surrey businesses, either individually or collectively, do to address this issue?
- Educate itself and its employees about homelessness and poverty in Surrey
- Send a letter to civic, provincial and federal decision-makers to support a national housing program
- Ask the provincial government and BC Housing Management Commission to increase investment in affordable housing options south of the Fraser
- Encourage funding of community-based services for at-risk youth that prevent them becoming chronically homeless
- Encourage review of public policy given the double jeopardy of relatively high market rental rates coupled with the low shelter component of provincial income support
Business needs to be involved to make the changes happen.
The result: The Surrey Board of Trade will be hosting as part of its ‘Leadership Surrey Series’ – a Business and Homlessness Dialogue on September 13th, 2011. Ongoing observation and advocacy
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3. The project:
LINKLINE – addressing Homelessness actively
What it’s about:
The Surrey Board of Trade wanted a way to address homelessness actively. The SBOT re-launched the LINKLINE, formerly a Newton Advocacy Group Line.
What the Surrey Board of Trade did:
This is a single phone line that business can phone and report seeing a homeless person at their location. A number of local agencies, community service organizations, and volunteers have agreed to be part of the outreach resources. Outreach workers will come on site to a business location and remedy the situation for business and coordinate access to services for people who are homeless. Through 604.589-LINK, business is involved and is a part of the solution. The LINK Line, 604.589.5465 (LINK) is a unique telephone number for businesses and citizens to call when they come across a homeless person who they feel is in need of assistance but not necessarily the assistance of the RCMP. This is a non-emergency number, available 8:30am-5:00pm
The result:
During the cold weather months, the Surrey Board of Trade receives calls from businesses, on average 5-10 calls a week. We put them in touch with a Social Service Worker who goes out and manages the situation. This is a collaboration with our Outreach Workers in Surrey.
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4. The issue:
National Census – Long Form
What it’s about:
Surrey Board of Trade position on the census: Needs to be mandatory
A mandatory census is important to business. Working from an informed position allows governments and business to make strategic plans and decisions based on detailed facts and identifiable trends. Without accurate demographic data, planning for programs and services that support business, cultural, social, health care, education, housing , or recreational needs will be made in ignorance and open the door to waste and abuse.
What the Surrey Board of Trade did:
After conducting a survey of our membership, the Surrey Board of Trade disagrees with the federal government’s decision to replace the mandatory long form census with a shorter voluntary survey. Like the Canadian Association for Business Economics (CABE) and the Canadian Association of University Teachers, we are particularly concerned about the loss of the compulsory census long form as it will undermine and impact the economy, research and innovation initiatives.
The quality of data collected in the census would drop considerably if it was only through voluntary participation. Businesses and governments all depend on data for analysis, making investment and operating decisions. Funding decisions by government are based on census data. Small errors in the data with a voluntary collection could cost provincial and municipal governments millions of dollars. As the CABE stated: “achieving an adequate quality and an appropriate response rate from a voluntary survey will be very challenging and will almost certainly involve more resources than retaining the compulsory long form of past censuses. Secondly, the costs of maintaining existing programs in business and government will be increased because of the need to fund new data sources. Thirdly, high quality regional data at the municipal level will be seriously compromised, if not lost entirely in many parts of the country. This will require the development of alternative data sources with an enormous analytical and resource cost as well as a loss in comparability.” The Surrey Board of Trade, a grassroots business organization, in addition to our business members (which include universities and not for profit/service organizations) do not understand why the government did not solicit our input on this issue. We with our nation-wide Chamber of Commerce/Board of Trade colleagues, rely on access to accurate census data for economic development and advocacy projects. Consequently our membership, and by extension our communities, have a significant financial stake in the quality of the data.
If a small and voluntary census takes place, the lack of data and resulting weak decisions will tear at the very fabric of our country. Census information is abrogated at the cost of good governance; privacy issues can be addressed in other ways. We strongly urged the federal government to reverse its decision to eliminate the Census long form.
The result:
The Surrey Board of Trade made their position clear, was recognized in the media but the Census Long Form was not re-implemented.
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4. The issue:
Minimum Wage
What it’s about:
Responses from a recent poll of the membership indicated a strong support exists for increasing the minimum wage. There is much debate on what the amount should be, however, it was felt that the board is not in a position to recommend the specific amount.
What the Surrey Board of Trade did:
Therefore, the Surrey Board of Trade’s position is: The Surrey Board of Trade supports an increase in the provincial minimum wage to a level more reflective of the cost of living in British Columbia. The increase to the higher level should be made in such a way as to ensure a smooth transition to that level and that the minimum wage be reviewed by government on an annual basis. One idea that was brought forward was the idea of a liveable wage. British Columbia has now become the province with the lowest minimum wage in Canada as well as one of the highest costs of living in the country. The province of BC now has the lowest minimum wage in the country at $8 per hour, not counting the widely criticized $6 training wage.
The result:
Minimum Wage was increased by the BC Government. Much of our position was utilized by the BC Government.
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5. The issue:
Education Funding – K-12 and Post-Secondary
What it’s about:
SURREY GROWTH STRESSING EDUCATION RESOURCES - Business Community Seeking Solutions
Education services in Surrey and the south Fraser region, from pre-school to post secondary, are facing unsustainable stresses, and unless new solutions are found, the rapidly growing population of this region will be significantly disadvantaged both socially and economically. This potential outcome has spurred the Surrey Board of Trade to produce a paper on the state of education and its ramifications on the region’s economy titled, Education Today/Productivity Tomorrow.
- 20% of all babies in BC are born in surrey Memorial Hospital
- Surrey growth is approximately 10 thousand people per year
- Surrey School District largest in BC, 5th largest in Canada
- Over 1000 new students registered for school in Surrey this fall
- Lowest post secondary rates of participation in the region
These are some of the facts from the presentation of the Surrey Board of Trade’s Education and Business Paper launched yesterday in Surrey. About 150 people from the business community heard of the challenges that impact the education system, in the context that the problems are also problems what directly affect business now and for the next decade and longer. As the paper points out, by 2016 one-third of graduating grade12 students will be from a South Fraser secondary school, yet this same region faces an imbalance of funded post-secondary seats of 100 per thousand students versus the provincial average of 244 seats per thousand. Businesses need to become advocates for education, with respect to funding, and seek ways of building a stronger education system by participating in it.
What the Surrey Board of Trade did:
The Surrey Board of Trade is seeking participation by the business community to act as champions for education as key indicator of economic success. With their education partners, the Surrey Board of Trade hopes to continue to raise the awareness of the problems facing Surrey and the South Fraser region.
The Education Today/Productivity Tomorrow Position Paper, and supporting documentation is on the Surrey Board of Trade website at www.businessinsurrey.com/education.
The result:
Meetings with MLA’s, Minister of Education, Minister of Finance – ongoing advocacy and observation.
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6. The issue:
Bill 18 – Assistance to Shelter Act
What it’s about:
The Surrey Board of Trade understands and appreciates the provincial government’s position that no one ever again should see the kind of tragedy that occurred last year in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. Minister Rich Coleman has stated that it is important to connect people to resources and services, from which they can benefit. We agree that this is an admirable goal.
We believe that the success of this initiative will depend very much on the local resources that are in place. A sufficient number of low barrier shelters, to which people can take their belongings and pets is necessary to increase the likelihood that more people would willingly seek shelter in the event of extreme weather conditions. The challenge outside Vancouver, including in Surrey, is that there may not be the number and variety of shelter beds available when extreme weather warnings are issued. We understand that shelters are not a solution for housing but they do provide needed overnight safety for individuals without shelter.
What the Surrey Board of Trade did:
Issued a media release and letter to appropriate Ministries:
The questions and concerns that we have include the following:
1. If there are no beds available will the police take a person to an adjacent municipality? If no beds are available will the police take a person to the lockup? If so, what would happen the next morning to someone who has been displaced from the only area that they know? What would be the impact on that adjacent community and to businesses there? What responsibility exists to return someone to their point of origin?
2. What is “reasonable force”, in the context of the Act, when used to compel an individual to accompany police to shelter? How much force would be applied to someone who physically resists the police when asked/told to go to a shelter? What risk does this present to the subject or the officer?
3. What will be the appetite of police to enforce such directives? When police are required to carry out the procedures within this legislation, will this impact service to other areas of the city?
The result:
Media Coverage. Ongoing observation.
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7. The project:
Tomorrow’s Workplace – Addressing Canada’s Demographic Crunch, Skilled Immigrants
What it’s about:
The Surrey Board of Trade is proud to be a part of the Tomorrow’s Workplace project in partnership with S.U.C.C.E.S.S. This project allowed the SBOT to work collaboratively to ensure that our businesses are ready for the future.
By 2020 businesses will need different ways to find staff. Canada’s workforce is aging as the baby boom generation slides into retirement. The economic fallout of shortages in IT, skilled labour, and health care could be devastating. We need to prepare our businesses – small or large, now! Tomorrow's Workplace was multi-sponsored project in British Columbia linking the Business community, the Surrey Board of Trade, five unique test business-employee models, and an educational/consultant research team. The mandate was research, communication and collaboration, and finally, a toolkit to enable future development in communities across Canada.
What the Surrey Board of Trade did:
The Tomorrow’s Workplace Guide will make it easier for business to create solutions, to identify the workforce they need, to anticipate change, and to have a diverse workforce. The project is unique because it brings the community together to show how business and employment service provider organizations can work together to benefit their workplaces and the community.
The result:
Business Tools were created: Business Guide, Community Guide and Facilitator’s Guide. For more information go to: www.tomorrowsworkplace.net
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8. The project:
Tap into Talent – Skills Shortage Tool
What it’s about:
The Surrey Board of Trade endorses and participates in the Tap Into Talent (www.tapintotalent.ca) initiative as hosted by the Immigrant Employment Council of BC. Along with other employer partners, which include the Community Savings Credit Union, Goldcorp, HSBC, Investors Group, M&R Environmental, Microsoft Game Studios, Port Metro Vancouver, Schneider Electric, Schenker Logistics, Safeway, Westminster Savings Credit Union, we have committed as a partner and participant in the program to support the Tap Into Talent resource website and the Skills International hiring resource for employers. The Surrey Board of Trade so far is the only Board of Trade/Chamber of Commerce noted as a partner and participant.
Tap Into Talent is an online tool to help employers attract, hire and retain skilled workers in the face of current skill shortages. Employers can access a database of skilled landed immigrants that are pre-qualified for appropriate English, certifications and credentials. The candidate database is available at no charge to the employer, who can screen, interview and hire at will.
What the Surrey Board of Trade did:
We endorsed this program and supported it.
The result:
To find out more and register for this service, visit our website at http://www.businessinsurrey.com/employer-hiring-tool/
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9. The project:
Embracing Cultural Diversity in the BC Workplace Demonstration Project launched
What it’s about:
DIVERSEcity Community Resources and its Advisory Team for the Embracing Cultural Diversity in the BC Workplace Demonstration Project launched www.getintheknow.ca.
“We launched a one of a kind employer and community resource – www.getintheknow.ca - an all in one stop shop - created in Surrey, that will help solve looming labour shortages and make BC’s economy more competitive at a global level. This leadership project will help business (a) Access new markets and new employees. (b) Improve customer service. (c) Gain experience. (d) And Create dynamic workplaces,” said Anita Huberman, CEO of the Surrey Board of Trade, Both employers and potential employees can access the latest tips, strategies and research at www.getintheknow.ca. They can base future diversity policies on a new workplace guidebook. And a series of training sessions in the Lower Mainland will provide training to both employers and new immigrants. “There are all kinds of information and tools here that employers have never had before.”
Canada’s economy is experiencing big changes. Retiring baby boomers in BC will help create more than a million job openings by 2015. And Canada’s low birth rate has not produced enough workers to replace them. Employers in Surrey and beyond can keep their businesses competitive by recruiting, hiring and training more new immigrants. This is a reality. These workers have skills and experiences from all over the world. They’re full of new ideas, perspectives and talent. New immigrant workers also belong to fast-growing immigrant communities. They speak different languages, and understand other cultures. They know how to connect to those communities. And that is evident right here in Surrey where 49% of our population has a mother tongue other than English.
There are many clear benefits to creating culturally diverse workforces. This resource, called ‘Get in the Know’ will provide businesses with the tools and strategies to hire and retain a more diverse workforce. immigrants confidently, that will build inclusion in the workplace and resources to support employers in the hiring process.
The project was funded by the Ministry of Regional Economic and Skills Development. The Project Advisory board consisted of business leaders including the SBOT, stakeholders and service agencies that are helping make Surrey a provincial leader in workplace diversity. Each member has deep ties to the community and understands the benefits of a multicultural society. Throughout the project the Advisory met to share their experiences and perspectives, provide input and direction to new resources and develop sound approaches for inclusive workforces.
What the Surrey Board of Trade did:
The Surrey Board of Trade, through their CEO, was an Advisory Panel member. The Surrey Board of Trade supported this program and utilized the membership for key usage of this tool.
The result:
Funding for the 2nd phase is currently being worked on by DiverseCity in this collaborative community project.
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10. The issue:
Early Childhood Development and Smart Family Policy
What it’s about:
The stock of human capital in British Colum- bia is key to its long-term economic success. This means early child development is a critical issue for business leaders, because the years before age six set in motion factors that will determine the quality of
the future labour force. Today, only 71% of BC children arrive at kindergarten meeting all of the developmental benchmarks they need to thrive both now and into the future: 29% are developmentally vulnerable.
What the Surrey Board of Trade did:
1. Supported the Early Childhood Development Resolution by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce: That the federal government, in cooperation with the provinces and territories and other stakeholders, fund and assist in the development of a provincially-delivered effective early childhood development program to improve the long term productivity of Canada through a better educated, more highly skilled workforce, resulting in superior economic performance.
2. Launching a Business and Families First Dialogue on October 25, 2011.
3. Created an Action Plan:
Business
•CANADIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RESOLUTION •CREDIT UNIONS OF BC & SB6 INITIATIVE •CONFERENCE BOARD OF CANADA •BC BUSINESS COUNCIL – COMMISSIONED 15 BY 15 REPORT •VANCOUVER BOARD OF TRADE – KIDS AND CRIME
•CITY OF VANCOUVER CONFERENCE
Surrey Board of Trade •LARGEST NUMBER OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN LOWER MAINLAND •LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT & MOST KIDS IN BC •EXPONENTIAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT •41% OF ALL REFUGEES IN BC ARE IN SURREY
•CITY OF SURREY – CHILD AND YOUTH FRIENDLY STRATEGY •CITY OF SURREY - CITY CENTRE DEVELOPMENTS – CHILD CARE AT
CITY CENTRE •OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT, LEARNING & CARE,
SURREY/WHITE ROCK – UNIQUE MODEL IN B.C. •CHILD CARE NEEDS ASSESSMENT •SURREY FOUNDATION
Education:
Compile members family friendly activities & validate/document their efforts, gather member perspectives on specific "family friendly" tools, sponsor a conference
Advocacy
Promote members issues to appropriate local, provincial, federal levels, develop policy position statement, select partners & collaborate & on specific issues, Sponsor a conference
Engagement
Develop a resource guide on where engagement opportunities existand promote opportunities for engagement
4. The Surrey Board of Trade joined the call to Government Leaders for a Smart Family Policy:
Call to action: The high early vulnerability rate in BC sounds a warning that the current approach to supporting families with young children comes at significant costs to British Columbians; it costs BC businesses on their bottom line; and it costs society now and for generations to come. We call on Leadership Canadidates to address the Family Policy Deficit:
Families need smart family policy to provide more time, more services and/or more income
Businesses need smart family policy to improve their bottom line
Society needs smart family policy to advance gender equality, population health, crime reduction and a fair start for kids.
The result:
Ongoing advocacy and observation
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11. The project:
Healthy Workplace
What it’s about:
A comprehensive approach to managing a healthy workplace recognizes the need for an overall health and workplace safety policy. Further, successful organizations realize that managing health within the workplace is an important management function, and that the results have a direct impact on competitiveness and the bottom line.
What the Surrey Board of Trade did:
Created a Healthy Workplace Award, the first of its kind in BC.
The result:
Will be creating a second phase of the Healthy Workplace Plan in partnership with the Heart & Stroke Foundation. In progress