New research report from SPRC Hamilton:Where’s the Exit? Persistence of poverty in Hamilton and Ontario, 1992–2023 Along with annual snapshot data that show rates of poverty overall in a community,...
Where’s the Exit?
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Poverty Reduction And Elimination
in government tax benefits and refunds for Hamiltonians living on a low income achieved through SPRC Hamilton’s Financial Empowerment and Problem Solving Program (fiscal year 2021/2022)
At SPRC Hamilton, we believe no one should be fighting to survive or unable to provide their basic costs of living. Much of our research focusses on measuring poverty in our community as well as examining policies and solutions that reduce poverty.
We focus our efforts on two main strategies:
- Research about the current state of poverty in Hamilton
- Community organizing and education for action to reduce poverty
SPRC Hamilton participates in:
Family and Child Poverty in Hamilton
Using taxfiler data, the new SPRC report Family and Child Poverty in Hamilton report explores child and youth poverty, family poverty, depth of poverty, and the impacts of poverty on housing, food security, and income security, It also examines community participation, belonging, and social inclusion.
Linking Social Assistance Rates and Homelessness in Hamilton
A recent policy brief from Maytree highlights how Ontario’s deeply inadequate social assistance program directly contributes to the growing homelessness crisis across the province. Through a Freedom...
Hamilton Living Wage 2025
Hamilton’s new Living Wage is $22.60/hour, a 6.1% increase from last year. This updated calculation, released by the Ontario Living Wage Network (OLWN) on November 10, reflects what it truly costs...
Barely hanging on
A new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the Ontario Living Wage Network highlights a growing challenge across Ontario: wages aren’t keeping up with the cost of living. You...
A Province That Forgot: The Case for transforming Ontario’s Personal Needs Allowance to bring dignity to Residential Care Facility tenants in Hamilton and beyond
This is the first-ever report dedicated to Personal Needs Allowance (PNA), a hidden part of Ontario’s social assistance system. At only $149/month and frozen since 2019, the PNA is the only personal...
Reflections on Climate (In)Justice
On June 24, 2025, SPRC Hamilton hosted a screening of the documentary, “A Matter of Justice: Climate Change in Black Communities in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.” Following the screening,...
SPRC Hamilton Community Impact Event: Reflections on Climate (In)Justice
August 18, 2025 On June 24, 2025, the Social Planning and Research Council of Hamilton (SPRC) held our annual community impact event to reflect on and share the impact of our programs in the...
The Faces of Poverty in Hamilton
This bulletin takes a closer look at what poverty looks like for some of the Hamilton groups most impacted by poverty. Keep scrolling down to read this report, or use the buttons to jump to a...
While we celebrate lower gas prices, how will the loss of the carbon rebate impact lower income Canadians?
As published in the Hamilton Spectator, April 9, 2025 The recent cancellation of the Canada Carbon Rebate (CCR) has sparked significant concern for low-income Canadians who have come to rely on...