Amid the rising cost of living, Calgarians are looking out for each other, says new report

Despite having a good accounting job in Calgary, 27-year-old Juan Rivera is struggling to keep up with the cost of living.

He already pays more for rent than he ever has in the past. 

So to afford other basic needs like food, Rivera has to make sacrifices. Like cutting down on hobbies. Cancelling his gym membership. Eating through his savings. Rethinking whether he'll ever be able to afford children.

"I'm earning more money, but at the end of every single day, I have less money and I am doing less," said Rivera, who moved to Calgary because of its affordability.

He isn't alone.

A new community well-being report released Tuesday by anti-poverty group Vibrant Communities Calgary shows that many Calgarians are struggling. However, it also reveals they're stepping up to help each other survive.

Lead author Lee Stevens says it was one of the key takeaways from her conversations with 25 Calgarians closest to poverty over the past year.

"It's quite heartwarming to hear that even though people are struggling, they're still looking out for their neighbours," said Stevens, who cited people looking after each other's children and dropping off boxes of food for those who need it.

The report aims to delve deeper into the different layers of poverty in Calgary to provide policymakers with a different picture — on top of typical income-based data and poverty metrics — to help create solutions for Calgarians.

Stevens describes the report as a checkup on the state of Calgary.

So how is the city doing?

"I think that we can do better," she said.

The report found that while the employment rate is up — it rose by 25,000 across Alberta in December — wages aren't.

That has to do with the types of jobs people are getting. Stevens says the majority of Calgarians have lower-income jobs, like in the service and retail sector.