Most of us head to the doctor occasionally for a check-up. While there, they will take our blood pressure or ask for tests to be done. Ultimately, we may be healthy but there are always things we can work on to improve conditions, whether it’s eating better or exercising more.
And the importance of check-ups isn’t just limited to the human body. They are also crucial for the long-term health of communities.
That’s why the Community Foundation of the North Okanagan’s 2017 Vital Signs report is a document that should be read not only by elected officials, bureaucrats and business leaders but by everyone who calls the region home.
In some cases, the report’s findings are concerning.
* Twenty-nine per cent of North Okanagan residents suffer from depression while 33 per cent deal with mood and anxiety disorders.
* Of the 7,260 renter households in 2011, 50.8 per cent spent more than 30 per cent of their income on shelter and utilities. Renters spending more than 30 per cent of their income on shelter are at an increased risk of homelessness.
* In October 2016, the rental vacancy rate for the North Okanagan was 1.9 per cent.
* The shelter allowance for an individual on income assistance is $375 per month. It has been at this level since 2007.
* The overall poverty rate for the North Okanagan was 15.3 per cent in 2014, the most recent year for which data is available. However, for children up to age 17, 20.6 per cent lived in low-income families.
* In the Thompson-Okanagan, which includes the North Okanagan, the 2017 unemployment rate up to Sept. 1 was 5.1 per cent. In 2016, 1,148 Vernon residents were regular recipients of Employment Insurance.
* In 2011, the median annual income for residents with full-time employment was $44,320 while 38.9 per cent of income earners made $25,000 or less per year.
For many, these findings won’t come as a surprise, as demand has increased at social agencies such as the Upper Room Mission. Most of us have seen homeless camps not only in Polson Park but more recently along the 25th Avenue linear park.
At the same time, help wanted signs dot the landscape as employers struggle to find workers. Many of the positions do provide decent salaries but others are minimum wage and it’s difficult to pay the rent and also put food on the table.
Now some progress is being made as new affordable housing units open, but the scope of the report can leave you feeling overwhelmed and not sure what to do. How can anyone make headway with such significant, complex issues?
The community foundation identifies 10 ways to take action — reflect on the report, share the document, discuss the findings, research the issues, act, report back to CFNO on what you have done, volunteer, get political and donate to charity.
Yes government at all levels must step up to the plate to ensure key services, such as affordable housing, are available. But the campaign to improve the lives of our families and neighbours must be broad-based. It’s time to take a stand together.
