St. Albert’s draft 2025 budget calls on city councillors to add $200,000 to a low-income subsidy program that has seen an increase in demand.
Requests to the St. Albert Subsidy Program are up 50 per cent since 2022 and 159 per cent in the last five years according to the document, which was tabled Tuesday, Oct. 22.
“Inflation, the economy, and newcomers to St. Albert are placing increasing demand on the existing subsidy program,” it reads. “Without access to the subsidy, newcomers and low-income residents have a barrier to accessing programs that can help build new skills, interact with others, and feel like they are a part of a community.”
The business case for the increase indicates the city has been trying to cover the growing expense within existing operations, but “this is not sustainable. 2024
demand exceeded existing demand. Demand is expected to continue."
According to the draft budget, a $176,000 increase to "other expenditures" in the Community and Social Services department was driven by demand for the subsidies. If approved, that envelope would be worth $517,000 in 2025; in 2022, it was $254,000.
To qualify, St. Albert residents must not have received subsidy from another source for the requested program and meet the annual income threshold, which is tied to current, before taxes, low-income cut-off (LICO) range by Statistics Canada according to the number of people in the household:
- 1 – $27,514
- 2 – $34,254
- 3 – $42,111
- 4 – $51,128
- 5 – $57,989
- 6 – $65,401
- 7+ – $72,814
The program also helps recipients access city services including transit and recreational facilities. they can choose a free six-month membership at either Servus Credit Union Place or Fountain Park Recreation Centre, or a 60 per cent discount on an annual membership at Servus Place.
It provides up to $150 per child for registered programs, including swimming and skating lessons, visual arts programming and performing arts programming.
It also provides a free All Aboard Local transit pass (within St. Albert) or an All Aboard Commuter Transit Pass (also to Edmonton), discounted by about "35 per cent of the cost of an Adult Commuter pass." For 2024, the All Aboard Commuter Pass costs $41.80 per month.
St. Albert Transit offers free local transit passes and lower-cost commuter transit passes to eligible recipients living in St. Albert, including recipients of Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program and lower income households.
Email [email protected] for more information.
