In a country with one of the highest standards of living in the world, it’s difficult to accept that we still haven’t cracked the code on poverty.
Toronto continues to experience a higher rate of poverty than the rest of Ontario, as well as the country. Four in 10 people report they are struggling to get by,* and 3 in 10 single parent families in Toronto are living in poverty.**
Equally concerning is the widening poverty gap — those who are experiencing poverty in Canada today are further below the poverty line than before the pandemic.
YSM is on a mission to end long-term poverty in Toronto by working in partnership to support life change, develop healthy communities and remove systemic barriers. We are midway through a 20-year strategic plan that is (1) people-centred, because each person’s experience is unique, and (2) data-driven, as we build and share measurement tools with partners for expanded impact.
YSM envisions a city where everyone works collaboratively to end poverty; where we learn and change together, and where people, not poverty, thrive.
Here’s what has happened so far, and what we plan to do next:
Part 1:
Lay the Foundation
(2015-2020)
We developed a theory of change, applied our RISE — Respond, Invite, Support, Engage — Model of Care across our programs, and built a system to measure and evaluate our work — TIMES™ — that was designed to be shared with other social service providers.
Part 2:
Modelling & Early
Expansion
(2020-2025)
Even as we faced a significant increase in community needs during and after the pandemic, we began to implement data-informed improvements to our programs and forged early partnerships toward shared solutions to poverty.
Part 3:
Expanding Impact
(2025-2030)
In the coming five years, we see doors opening for heightened collaboration among those working to create a Toronto where everyone thrives. YSM is ready to expand sought-after impact by continuing to apply learnings and engage in solution-focused partnerships.
To read a full report of our stage 3 goals, visit ysm.ca/strategic-plan-update.
*2024 Toronto Census Metropolitan Area
**2021 Census