For Immediate Release September 18, 2013 Poverty Costs 2.

0 Report Launch Event Following up on the original Poverty Costs report released in March 2012, Action to End Poverty in Alberta and Vibrant Communities Calgary will be launching Poverty Costs 2.0: Investing in Albertans at an event in Calgary on September 19, 2013. While the first report determined that poverty costs Albertans between $7.1 and $9.5 billion each year, Poverty Costs 2.0 has proposed a comprehensive strategy to reduce these costs in Alberta. We know from research in other provinces that poverty reduction strategies cost approximately 50% of only addressing the symptoms of poverty. It makes economic sense to strive to reduce poverty in Alberta. On September 19th AEPA and VCC will hold a roundtable discussion to launch the report featuring a presentation and discussion with Human Services Minister Dave Hancock as well as municipal poverty reduction leaders from across the province. The report identifies populations in Alberta who are more likely to be living in poverty and proposes recommendations, primarily to the provincial government, that would reduce poverty in our province. Further, the report identifies a monitoring and evaluation process that will show our progress towards the goals of ending child poverty in 5 years and reducing it overall in 10 years. Poverty Costs 2.0: Investing in Albertans is titled as such because it will take an investment from all orders of government, the non-profit sector, and the corporate sector to achieve the goals set by the province. The goals for poverty reduction set by the province can and should be supported by all Albertans but can only be achieved through new funding for income support and prevention programs. People must be lifted out of poverty but also be prevented from falling into poverty in the first place. Copies of the report are available online at www.actiontoendpovertyinalberta.org and www.vibrantcalgary.com -30For More Information Contact: Mike Brown, Public Policy Coordinator Momentum Mobile: 403-605-5835 E-mail: mikeb@momentum.org Website: www.momentum.org