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CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
‘Invisible poor': Middle-income households making up to $125K annually getting squeezed out of the GTHA: report
An office worker talks on the phone in the financial district of Toronto, on Thursday, June 2, 2016. The working middle class in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area – a group that includes teachers, nurses and other essential workers – have become 'the invisible poor' and could soon be squeezed out of the region due to the ongoing housing crisis, a new report suggests. On Tuesday, CivicAction published the first instalment of a four-part research series delving into the challenges middle-income workers in the GTHA face. The authors of the report defined middle class workers as those making anywhere between $40,000 and $125,000 annually. 'Despite steady employment, they are increasingly becoming our region's 'invisible poor—often overlooked because they have jobs and are assumed to be managing, even as rising costs push them towards financial precarity,' the report reads. Since those who belong to the working middle class make more than what would qualify them for traditional housing supports, CivicAction says that the group ends up spending 45 to 63 per cent of their income towards housing—far surpassing the 30 per cent chunk typically recommended by financial experts. 'I'll give you the example (of) a nurse earning $80,000 a year today, (they) will need to earn over $200,000 to qualify for a mortgage for an average Toronto home,' Leslie Woo, CivicAction's CEO tells CTV News Toronto. 'That's our current situation.' The report notes that while the annual median household income in Toronto is $100,400, salaries have not kept up with rising housing costs. As a result, Toronto's price-to-income ratio has now reached 11.8 times the median household income, meaning homebuyers in the city with an average income would need to dedicate 76.9 per cent of their salary toward mortgage payments on an average priced home. The report warns of a 'downstream crisis,' which is when working people and families are past their financial breaking point and have to make hard decisions, up to and including leaving the region entirely. In the last decade, more than 500,000 people from the GTHA moved elsewhere in the province, like to the Simcoe or Niagara regions, while roughly 31,000 people moved to other provinces in Canada, like B.C., Alberta, Nova Scotia or New Brunswick. Workers dissatisfied with housing and commute CivicAction and the Boston Consulting Group are actively conducting an online survey, analyzing responses from middle class workers who commute at least 30 minutes each way, either by car or public transit. The survey's preliminary results, compiled in early May after four weeks of polling, found nearly two-thirds of middle-income workers—62 per cent—are unsatisfied with either or both their housing or commuting situation. The majority of respondents—67.7 per cent—indicated wanting to do something to address their current dissatisfaction, with around 39 per cent considering changing jobs to so they are closer to home or just shy of 29 per cent looking to find a place to live closer to work 'We recognize that the folks who power this region, nurses, firefighters, personal care workers, teachers, they are—I think—a critical part of what makes this region livable, and their voice and an understanding of their needs, needs to be part of when policies are being made or initiatives that are underway, or money that is being spent, that we're truly benefiting them, and the best way to ensure that is to understand more deeply how they're affected and what it is that they need in order to meet their needs and their families needs,' Woo said. How this impacts the GTHA The high levels of stress mounting for middle-income workers in the GTHA can spill into other aspects of life, the report suggests, acting as sort of a 'canary in the coalmine' that can create an untenable situation for the region in the long run. The report notes a growing number of middle-income workers are less than 'one pay cheque away' from falling into serious financial distress, with the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada's well-being survey determining 56 per cent of Canadian households are struggling to keep up with their financial commitments—up from 38 per cent in 2019—while 35 per cent borrow money to cover the costs of daily expenses, which is up by eight per cent since 2019. More people are using the food bank, with Toronto Daily Bread Food Bank's 2024 report indicating a record-breaking 3.49 million visitors, amounting to one in 10 residents having used their food banks last year. But the affordability issue goes far beyond how it is impacting individual households. From the business standpoint, the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis in 2024 determined 29 per cent of local businesses reported difficulty attracting employees while 20 per cent struggle to retain skilled employees. 'Perhaps most concerning for regional economic development and competitiveness, the Toronto Region Board of Trade (2022) found that 42 per cent of businesses are considering relocation specifically due to workforce housing challenges,' the report notes. The workforce housing crisis can also impact the quality of service, as the report estimates $575 million is lost annually in the health-care system due to staffing challenges or overtime requirements, $320 million in losses in the education sector due to turnover rates and substitute staffing and $230 million is lost in the emergency services sector due to increased response times and staffing challenges. The GTHA's traffic infrastructure is also burdening the economy, with the report pointing to the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis' estimations in 2024 has cost $10.1 billion annually over the last decade with 88,000 fewer jobs. 'If congestion had been reduced, real GDP in the GTHA could be $27.9 billion higher today—representing a 4.9 per cent increase over GTHA's 2024 economic performance, corresponding to an additional $3,400 in economic activity per person,' the report states. What can be done? The report provided preliminary actions to address the housing affordability challenge for middle-income workers, suggesting employers could look into housing assistance programs or workforce housing initiatives, It also said that municipalities can measure and track data around shelter usage to understand the magnitude of the housing problem and provide adequate housing supports. However, CivicAction will be publishing three more reports, which Woo says will address, in part, why the math doesn't add up. 'I think we can anticipate that, at its crux, part of what we will see in the next paper is that no one source of funding is going to be adequate. No one sector is going to be enough, and that, then, really will lead to paper three and four, which will speak about specific solutions that we want to see some action on,' Woo said.. Are you a middle-income worker in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area choosing between moving away to somewhere more affordable or making it work in the region? Share your story by emailing us at torontonews@ with your name, general location, and phone number in case we want to follow up. Your comments may be used in a CTV News Toronto story.
New Paper
29-05-2025
- Business
- New Paper
Successful ITE graduates to be recognised as part of 3 new fellowships in President's Challenge 2025
A new fellowship to recognise Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduates who have had outstanding career achievements was among three tracks launched under the refreshed President's Challenge on May 28. The ITE Inspire Fellowship recognises those who have achieved success following a technical education background so as to enlist them to serve as role models and mentors to motivate others. The fellowship was introduced by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam during a visit with Netball Singapore, an organisation receiving funding this year under the President's Challenge. The President's Challenge was established in 2000 by then President S R Nathan to raise money for and support various social causes. It has provided funding for many social service agencies to run their programmes. The other two fellowships launched in 2025 are the Civic Action and Springboard fellowships, which aim to develop new approaches in the social sector, and support individuals who are bouncing back from major setbacks respectively. The Civic Action Fellowship will be open to social sector professionals and allow them to deepen their expertise and develop new approaches for the sector through full-time and part-time sabbaticals that span one to two years. The Springboard Fellowship will help those bouncing back from adversity and provide them with education, skills and entrepreneurship training so they can embark on new career paths. The three fellowships will tap partners like Quantedge Foundation, Singapore Institute of Management, Singapore Business Federation Foundation, Temasek and ITE for their resources and networks. Applications for the Civic Action and ITE Inspire tracks will be open from June 3 to July 18 via the President's Challenge website. Nominations for the Springboard track in the first year will be sought through agencies in the social and civic sector. Speaking to media at the event, Mr Tharman said the fellowships aim to broaden the "canvas" of leadership in society. "We want more catalysts and role models for social change, and they come from different walks of life," he said. He said he wanted the Springboard Fellowship, which helps people bouncing back from adversity, to be part of the President's Challenge to show that it is important to recognise that there are many paths in life. And very often, the path involves a setback along the way. Singapore is at a stage of development as a country where intangibles matter greatly, Mr Tharman said, adding that the ultimate objective of the President's Challenge is intangible - to build a community of respect. He said: "Developing that community of respect - where we respect everyone, not just respecting our differences, but respecting the effort, skill, and contribution that everyone brings - is what creates unity. But it's more than that; it's actually one of the most powerful ways in which we uplift ourselves. "It is how we motivate and uplift each other. Recognising the very different life circumstances that we each have, putting ourselves in someone else's shoes, realising the obstacles they face, encouraging and motivating them to overcome those obstacles, and developing friendships and relationships with one another that are respectful." In 2025, the President's Challenge will support 60 programmes from 52 organisations, including six initiatives that will receive more funding. These programmes will receive funding ranging from $715,000 to $1,250,000 over five years, enabling them to scale their impact. These include a therapeutic horseback riding initiative for those with disabilities run by the Riding for the Disabled Association of Singapore, and a community patrol initiative that engages youth facing adversity by Shine Children and Youth Services. New Life Stories' Family Strengthening Programme is also one of the six that will receive significant funding this year. The programme, which helps inmates and their families, supported more than 650 families in 2024. "The funding will not only help us increase the number of families that we support, but also allow us to go further in-depth with each family and improve the quality of service we provide so we can make really deep, meaningful impact in their lives," said chief executive of New Life Stories Saleemah Ismail. The initiative helps incarcerated parents connect with their children through open visits and special activities like letting the parents write storybooks in prison that their children can read. Another programme that will receive extra funding this year is Women At Work, an initiative by Yayasan Mendaki to help unemployed Malay-Muslim women get back into the workforce. Programme lead Zuria Yusope said the programme helped 200 women in 2024, 54 per cent of whom attained a job within six months. "With this sustained funding over five years, we will be able to reach out to even more women and increase the number of sessions that we hold to improve their employability," she said. This year's grant call attracted applications from 272 programmes, more than twice that for 2024. One of the three key shifts the President's Challenge has made in 2025 is to ensure the programmes it funds do not just support immediate needs, but also uplift people and develop their potential. It also expanded to the arts and sports sectors, and made a move towards sustained funding instead of on a year-by-year basis. Other than the six initiatives receiving extra funding, the President's Challenge will also support 54 other programmes with funding of $105,000 to $300,000 each, spread over three years. This includes Netball Singapore's Netball Rising programme - a new initiative to provide regular coaching and competitive opportunities to potential athletes aged 12 to 17 from underprivileged backgrounds. President Tharman Shanmugaratnam throwing a netball at the Kallang ActiveSG Netball Centre on May 28. Looking on are President Tharman's spouse, Ms Jane Ittogi (right), members of NorthLight School's netball team and their coach Liew Hin Joon (foreground). ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG The President's Challenge 2025 expanded its scope to include support for arts and sports. The National Arts Council (NAC) and Sport Singapore (SportSG) will act as partners to the President's Challenge and help with talent discovery, especially among those from less advantaged backgrounds. Under its partnership with SportSG, the President's Challenge will support the Enabling Sports Fund to expand community-initiated disability sports and support early identification of talents among young people with disabilities. Support will also be given to NAC's and SportSG's scholarships, to empower more individuals to develop their aspirations in the arts and sports. The logo for President's Challenge was also changed this year after a logo competition was opened to polytechnic, ITE, and University of the Arts Singapore students. The winning design among 153 entries was by Xandrea Alfie Isa from Temasek Polytechnic.
Straits Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Successful ITE graduates to be recognised under a new fellowship in President's Challenge 2025
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his spouse, Ms Jane Ittogi, posing for photos with Women At Work programme lead Zuria Yusope (right) and beneficiaries Nuruljannah Sehab (left) and Norsuryani Abdul Jamal during the launch of the President's Challenge 2025. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Successful ITE graduates to be recognised under a new fellowship in President's Challenge 2025 SINGAPORE - A new fellowship to recognise Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduates who have had outstanding career achievements was among three tracks launched under the refreshed President's Challenge on May 28. The ITE Inspire Fellowship recognises those who have achieved success following a technical education background to serve as role models and mentors to motivate others. The fellowship was introduced by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam during a visit with Netball Singapore, an organisation receiving funding this year under the President's Challenge. The President's Challenge was established in 2000 by then-President S R Nathan to raise money for and support various social causes. It has provided funding for many social service agencies to run their programmes. The two other fellowships launched in 2025 are the Civic Action and Springboard fellowships, which aim to develop new approaches in the social sector as well support individuals who are bouncing back from major setbacks respectively. The Civic Action Fellowship will be open to social sector professionals and allow them to deepen their expertise and develop new approaches for the sector through full-time and part-time sabbaticals that span one to two years. The Springboard Fellowship will help those bouncing back from adversity and provide them with education, skills and entrepreneurship training so they can embark on new career paths. The three fellowships will tap partners like Quantedge Foundation, Singapore Institute of Management and Singapore Business Federation Foundation for their resources and networks. Applications for the Civic Action and ITE Inspire tracks will be open from June 3 to July 18 via the President's Challenge website. Nominations for the Springboard track in the first year will be sought through agencies in the social and civic sector. Speaking to media at the event, Mr Tharman said the fellowships aim to broaden the 'canvas' of leadership in society. 'We want more catalysts and role models, and they come from different walks of life,' he said. He said he wanted the Springboard Fellowship, which helps people bouncing back from adversity, to be part of the President's Challenge to show that it is important to recognise that there are many paths in life. And very often, the path involves a setback along the way. Singapore is at a stage of development as a country where intangibles matter greatly, he said, adding that the ultimate objective of the President's Challenge is intangible - to build a community of respect. 'This intangible respect for all is how we motivate and uplift each other, recognising the very different life circumstances we all have, putting ourselves in someone else's shoes and realising that they face obstacles, and encouraging and motivating everyone to overcome those obstacles.' In 2025, the President's Challenge will support 60 programmes from 52 organisations, including six initiatives that will receive more funding. These programmes will receive funding ranging from $715,000 to $1,250,000 over five years, enabling them to scale their impact. This includes a therapeutic horseback riding initiative for those with disabilities run by the Riding for the Disabled Association of Singapore, and a community patrol initiative that engages youth facing adversity by Shine Children and Youth Services. New Life Stories' Family Strengthening Programme is also one of the six that will receive significant funding this year. The programme, which helps inmates and their families, supported more than 650 families in 2024. 'The funding will not only help us increase the number of families that we support, but also allow us to go further in-depth with each family and improve the quality of service we provide so we can make really deep, meaningful impact in their lives,' said chief executive of New Life Stories Saleemah Ismail. The initiative helps incarcerated parents connect with their children through open visits and special activities like letting the parents write storybooks in prison that their children can read. Another programme that will receive extra funding this year is Women At Work, an initiative by Yayasan Mendaki to help unemployed Malay-Muslim women get back into the workforce. Programme lead Zuria Yusope said the programme helped 200 women in 2024, 54 per cent of whom attained a job within six months. 'With this sustained funding over five years, we will be able to reach out to even more women and increase the number of sessions that we hold to improve their employability,' she said. This year's grant call attracted applications from 272 programmes, more than twice of that for 2024. Other than the six initiatives receiving extra funding, the President's Challenge will also support 54 other programmes with funding of $105,000 to $300,000 each, spread over three years. This includes Netball Singapore's Netball Rising programme – a new initiative to provide regular coaching and competitive opportunities to potential athletes aged 12-17 from underprivileged backgrounds. President Tharman Shanmugaratnam throwing a netball at the Kallang ActiveSG Netball Centre on May 28. Looking on are President Tharman's spouse, Ms Jane Ittogi (right), members of NorthLight School's netball team and their coach Liew Hin Joon (foreground). ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG The President's Challenge 2025 expanded its scope to include support for arts and sports. The National Arts Council (NAC) and Sport Singapore (SportSG) will act as partners to the President's Challenge and help with talent discovery, especially among those from less advantaged backgrounds. Under its partnership with SportSG, the President's Challenge will support the Enabling Sports Fund to expand community-initiated disability sports and support early identification of talents among young people with disabilities. Support will also be given to NAC's and SportSG's scholarships, to empower more individuals to develop their aspirations in the arts and sports. The logo for President's Challenge was also changed this year after a logo competition was opened to polytechnic, ITE, and University of the Arts Singapore students. The winning design among 153 entries was by Xandrea Alfie Isa from Temasek Polytechnic. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
