Community attachment and the building of social capital among single parent families in Vancouver

The following research investigated the effects of both income and family type upon the availability of social capital among families in British Columbia. It was hypothesized that the accumulation of social capital was more difficult for single parent families, and especially difficult for single parent families of a low-income status. This was expected to be due to variables associated with such families having a limited capacity to balance work and family life demands and being at a relatively high risk of living in poverty. Results showed that high rates of housing instability and negative neighbourhood assessments were significantly correlated with low levels of social support among single parent families living below the LICO. A policy objective of increasing the attachment of low-income single parent families to supportive communities was established and policy alternatives were proposed and evaluated within the context of the City of Vancouver.