In Canada, there has been considerable effort made to address the issue of poverty, particularly in Ontario with the release of its Poverty Reduction Strategy in 2010. Much of this effort has been directed at understanding the impact of poverty on the health and well-being of individual Canadians. While this is certainly an important component of the discussion it is also important to understand the economic costs of poverty. This report reviews the cost of poverty as it relates to health care, crime, intergenerational poverty and loss of productivity. It also looks at the different policies and programs in Canada that are currently attempting to alleviate the costs of poverty in these areas.

The full report can be downloaded here:  The Cost of Poverty