Action for Neighbourhood Change:
A Strategy to Build Local Leadership
and “Bridging” Partnerships
National RAP Conference
Vancouver, BC
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Why “Bridging” Partnerships Matter
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Local change happens when connections and
partnerships are made between community
members and decision makers
These “bridging” connections are the social
capital Robert Putman refers to in Bowling Alone
which are so important for bolstering collective
and positive community change
They are the partnerships which Xavier de Souza
Briggs describes as the intermediaries between
the “grasstops” and the “grassroots”, which are
necessary to get things done
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Purpose of the Presentation
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Background on UWGT’s changing roles and its emerging
interest in community engagement, neighbourhood
renewal, and collaborative activity
Trends that are driving these new roles
The Action for Neighbourhood Change Initiative
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What it is
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How it will impact newcomers and their integration into
neighbourhood life
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Where it is being implemented
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The results that we hope to achieve
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UWGT’s Traditional Role
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Membership-based organization, with 149 members
Includes entire spectrum of social services agencies –
children, youth, seniors, multi-service, counselling,
employment, shelter, and newcomer settlement and
integration
Annual fundraising campaign; annual allocation to
member and grant recipient agencies ($59M in 2007)
Fund core organizational costs on on-going basis,
providing stability to the 147 member agencies
New funding on top of “core” distributed largely on a
“responsive” basis – i.e. type and rationale for funding is
defined by member organizations
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UWGT’s New Directions
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Still committed to being a membership-based organization,
and providing stability to a network of member agencies
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In terms of newcomer services, this means continuing to
fund settlement & integration supports, employment
services, and language training
Going forward, UWGT wants to achieve greater impact
beyond our financial investment in programs
UWGT will do this by bringing together our research, public
policy, capacity building, community engagement, and
collaborative building skills and resources and targeting
them in ways that will improve local conditions in highneed, underserved neighbourhoods in the inner suburbs
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Why is UWGT Making this Change?
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In the donor world:
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Greater competition for donor dollars
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Area of greatest growth is among large donors, who
want assurances that their donations are having
significant impact
On the socio-political front:
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Fraying social safety net
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Growing social needs
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Changes in the Public Policy Realm
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Post-1995 changes to the social safety net in Ontario:
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Cancellation of the non-profit housing program
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Closing of settlement houses
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21.5% reduction in welfare rates
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Privatization of certain kinds of social services
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Downloading of responsibility for social programs to
municipalities, without adequate resources to cover
costs
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Amalgamation and formation of new City of Toronto
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Changes in Socio-Economic Profile of Toronto
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Profound geographic shift in the socio-economic profile of
the City of Toronto
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Our “inner suburbs”, originally built for middle-income
families, are now home to much lower-income
households (includes much of the former cities of
Scarborough, North York, Etobicoke, East York and
York)
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The income segregation in Toronto today is stark, with
the city’s wealthy concentrated in a central corridor,
surrounded on three sides by the less well off.
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Changes in Socio-Economic Profile of Toronto
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Not only are the inner suburbs relatively less well off,
compared to the Toronto CMA average, the actual income
levels in these areas are declining
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Since 1970, most of these areas experienced a 20% or
greater drop in real incomes
There has also been a profound growth in the incidence of
concentrated neighbourhood poverty
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The number of higher poverty neighbourhoods
approximately doubled every ten years, from 30 in
1981, to 66 in 1991, to 120 in 2001.
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Three-quarters of these (92) are in the inner suburbs
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Changes in Settlement Patterns
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43% of all new immigrants and refugees settle in the
Toronto CMA
There is a direct link between the changing income
landscape and newcomer settlement patterns
40 years ago, newcomers settled in the downtown
area of the old City of Toronto and up a north-south
corridor to the Jane-Finch area
Today, much of the downtown has been “gentrified”
and is no longer a first home to many newcomers
Newcomers are now settling in the “inner suburbs”
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Residents of Higher Poverty Neighbourhoods
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Newcomers
 1981 – newcomers accounted for one-half of all
“poor” families
 2001 – they accounted for two-thirds
Visible minorities
 1981 – visible minorities accounted for slightly
more than one-third of all “poor” families
 2001 – they accounted for over three-quarters
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Our Challenge
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Growing segregation and racialization of poverty in the
inner suburbs
Lack of support services and social infrastructure to meet
the new needs
Lack of connections among neighbours and lack of
resident voice and influence over local affairs
Poorer health and education outcomes and more insecure
employment
Evidence of broader neighbourhood decline
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Proliferation of fringe lending businesses
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Youth gang and gun violence
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Homeowner “flight”
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Action for Neighbourhood Change (ANC)
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ANC is a key component of UWGT’s Neighbourhood Strategy
It is a neighbourhood engagement initiative, which aims to
empower and build the capacity of local communities to
improve neighbourhood conditions.
Our vision is of strong neighbourhoods where engaged
residents, local business, faith communities, service providers
and funders work together to build vibrant neighbourhoods,
foster cohesion, and build a strong network of neighbourhood
infrastructure and services
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ANC - Objectives
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5 primary objectives:
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Create a resident-led neighbourhood association,
that is representative of the local population
Mobilize local residents around a common agenda
for change
Develop plans and priorities and a strategy for
bringing that agenda for change to fruition
Enhance individual and collaborative leadership
capacity within the neighbourhood association
Build connections and partnerships between the
neighbourhood association and decision makers
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ANC – Roll-Out
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ANC began in 2005, as a neighbourhood
revitalization pilot project in 5 Canadian cities, funded
by the federal government
Led by United Way of Canada, in partnership with the
Caledon Institute of Social Policy, Tamarack: An
Institute for Community Engagement, the National
Film Board, and the United Ways in the five cities
United Way of Greater Toronto now rolling out ANC in
13 priority neighbourhoods
In some of these neighbourhoods newcomers
account for two-thirds of the population
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ANC – Components of the Initiative
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Funding for a Community engagement site team
Funding for “animators” who speak the local
languages and ensure outreach to, and
participation of all ethno-cultural and language
groups
Community Builders – a resident leadership
training initiative to support ANC
Quick Start Fund – to seed early projects that
encourage residents participation
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ANC – Benefits for Newcomers
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Connects them to the life of their community and
their neighbourhoods
Increases their opportunities for civic engagement
Helps them understand and navigate the systems
that impact neighbourhoods
Enhances the appropriateness and accessibility of
existing and new services and infrastructure
Builds their leadership capacities and skills
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ANC – What will Success Look Like?
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We will know that ANC has been a success when
resident’s influence on neighbourhood
conditions has increased
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More residents are involved in the life of their
communities
Capable leaders are able to advocate for
neighbourhood improvements
Local politicians, police, schools, and business
respond to the needs and priorities of the local
population
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ANC – What will Success Look Like?
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We will know that ANC has been a success when
the quality of neighbourhood life is enhanced
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Residents have a stronger pride in their
neighbourhood
Greater connection among neighbours
Newcomers have increased opportunity to
connect to and participate in community life
Streets and public places are people-friendly, safe,
clean, properly lit and well maintained
Playgrounds are accessible and well used
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ANC – What will Success Look Like?
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We will know that ANC has been a success when
the neighbourhood has greater access to
resources
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A range of local business, shops and services meet
local resident needs
Cultural, social and recreational services are
accessible and responsive to local residents
New services and infrastructure are created to fill
gaps
External funding is better aligned to meet the service
and infrastructure needs of the neighbourhood
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What Actual Success has been Achieved
in Scarborough Village
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Urdu speaking immigrants from Pakistan taking leadership on
local safety issues
Bengali Social Club and South Asian Women’s Club now meeting
regularly in local parks and recreation facility
Service Canada Employment Resource Centre relocated to
neighbourhood
Inclusion of after school international language program for both
Urdu speaking and Tamil residents
Urdu speaking and Bengali residents meeting with local councillor
on range of municipal issues – snow clearing, lighting, sidewalk
maintenance, policing
Creation of multi-service hub, with parenting program with Tamil
and Urdu interpreters, Tamil heart health cooking program
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