Is Metro Vancouver Area as liveable as international reports say it is?
The Vancouver Foundation answer this question in its Metro Vancouver's Vital Signs® 2007 report.
The report tells what it's like to live in the 21 municipalities that make up Metro Vancouver from the perspective of those of us who live here.
It brings together factual information, perceptions glened from an Ipsos Reid surveys, and ideas from residents about problems and splutions.
The report finds that Metro Vancouver is indeed a desirable place to live, but many of our 2.1 million residents face chalanges. At the top of the list:
- affordable housing. Rising housing costs coupled with diminishing rental stock caused homlessness to more than triple between 2000 and 2005;
- the income gap: one in four (26%) of children live in households with incomes below poverty line. The national average is 17%;
- getting started: new immigrants continue to face barriers to employment despite high levels of educations. This results in higher poverty rates compared to non-emmigrant residents;
- getting around: residents spend an average of 67 minutes commuting and $9,000.00 a year on transportation, the second-highest expenditure after housing. Households spend $1000 more on transportation than food.
THE GOOD NEWS
- We are working. Employment has incresed an average of 2.6% anually since 1987.
- We're volunteering. Volunteering is on rise with 43% of us regularly contributing.
- We're conserving. Turning of the tap meant a 23% decrease in water consumption from 20 years ago.
- We're healthier. Over half of us (58%) rate our health as excellent or very good.
- We're educated. More than half of us (51%) have completed a post-secondary degree, certificate or diploma.
- We're safer. Property crime has decresed by 43% since 1996, and violent crime has dropped by 17%.
- We'are growing food. Close to half of us (44%) grow some or all of our food.
VITAL SIGNS® - A SNAPSHOT OF OUR REGION
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