Quality of life survey sheds light on ‘people at risk’: Calgary Institute – Calgary Achi-News

The Calgary Foundation’s latest annual quality of life report suggests that Calgarians’ attitudes toward life in the city are changing due to factors ranging from economic security to public safety.

“This year’s report tells the story of a city split in two directions – those who have failed and those who have not,” wrote Eva Friesen, president and CEO of the organization, in the report.

“We are a city whose extraordinary progress has left some of its people at risk.”

Of the 1,000 Calgarians surveyed, 61 per cent rated their quality of life as good or excellent—a decrease of 14 per cent since 2020.

About 35 per cent of respondents were optimistic about Calgary’s economy, down from 50 per cent the previous year.

“(That’s) certainly one of the most significant drops in my memory,” said Taylor Barrie, vice president of communications at the Calgary Foundation, in an interview with Calgary Morning Global News on Thursday after the report was released.

“We have seen a significant decline in the quality of life in general.”

The survey found that 43 per cent of Calgarians feel stressed related to financial matters, 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 that 54 per cent of people in full-time employment cannot find suitable accommodation, up from 40 per cent a year ago.

Among homeowners, 38 percent said they were making “sacrifices” to pay their mortgages, up from 33 percent a year earlier.

The survey found that 48 per cent of people aged 55 to 64 cannot afford retirement while 28 per cent of people aged 65 or over cannot afford retirement.

The survey also found that affordability of nutritious food is becoming a growing concern for many: 39 per cent skip meals to ensure their children can eat, 52 per cent serve smaller portions, 63 per cent serve meals that do not they are nutritious and 26 percent serve meals that are not nutritious. percent use food services in the community for their children.

“I think affordability continues to be a critical issue this year,” Barrie said. “Calgiarians are not particularly optimistic about the future of this city in terms of the economy.”

The survey results also suggest a slight decline in mental health: 56 per cent said their mental health was good or excellent, down from 59 per cent in 2023. Twenty-nine per cent of respondents said they had no access timely access to mental health services and support, while 32 per cent said they cannot find a GP.

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Public safety is also a growing concern, according to the report. Sixty-seven percent of respondents said they were concerned about safety in the city and 78 percent said they did not feel safe walking alone in the city center after dark.

Sixty percent of racial Calgarians said they think racism is growing in the city, a sentiment shared by 48 percent of non-racists living in Calgary. Eighty-seven percent of racist respondents said they had 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 change this year,” Barrie said of the overall findings of the 2024 report. “Calgarians are really struggling.”

She added that she believed many of the concerns raised were 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 that we’re facing.”

METHODOLOGY: The Calgary Institute says survey respondents were randomly selected based on demographic quotes. “For comparison purposes, a probability sample of 1,000 results in a margin of error of t-3.10 percent , 19 times out of 20.”

& copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.