People in the Capital Region are more concerned than ever about the gaps in our social safety net and the number of people falling through it.

But even with financial storm clouds starting to gather, the region’s economy remains strong and people are digging deeper to fund organizations that lend a hand.

Those are some of the key findings of the 2008 Victoria Vital Signs report.

Now in its third year, the study produced by the Victoria Foundation is intended to lay a finger on the region’s pulse, finding out where Victoria is making progress, where it’s falling behind and what issues should be priorities, said Sandra Richardson, Victoria Foundation CEO.

The report includes some grim statistics on the face of poverty, indicating the cost of living, especially housing, is outpacing earnings for more households than ever. But at the same time, it aims to shed light on what’s right in the region, Richardson said.

“You’d hate to produce a report that just talks about how everything is so dark and dismal. But when you look at who Victorians are and the concerns they have ... you really feel like this is a giving community and they do want to make a difference, whether it’s literacy or environment or homelessness.”

The homelessness issue was clearly front-of-mind for most of those who participated in the study. Fifty-eight per cent of respondents placed it among their top three priorities, followed by the cost of living at 43 per cent, addictions at 37 per cent and housing at 29 per cent.

There’s no question the gap between the rich and poor is growing, said Peggy Mahoney, executive director of the Greater Victoria Community Council.

Figures collected in the report suggest that owning a home has been slipping further out of reach for many families, as the combined family income needed to purchase a median-priced condo has risen from $62,923 in 2006 to $66,892 last year and now up to $70,368 in July 2008.

More than a quarter of two-parent, two-child families earn less than the region’s $60,000 living wage -- the point where financial stress becomes a “big issue” for a family, Mahoney says.

“I think people’s experience is that there are jobs out there, but not higher-paying jobs. We have people moving here that can’t afford to live here,” said Mahoney.

Wherever the cost of living goes, the region can expect more people to continue to come in search of work and rising wages as employers compete for workers, said Sasha Angus, economic development officer for the Greater Victoria Development Agency.

He expects the four-per-cent job growth noted in 2007 will continue, as the region is buffered against a slowing economy by the presence of the government, tech and marine sectors.

Wages, at an average $20.59 an hour, are already ahead of B.C. and Canada, he noted.

Confidence in the region’s employment has helped buoy retail sales, alongside growth in tourism. Sales hit $4.4 billion in 2007, up almost 50 per cent since 2000.

The same confidence could help explain growing charitable donations. The report notes the median amount of charitable donations on Victoria tax filings grew from $290 in 2004 to $320 last year. United Way receipts alone were up $700,000, reaching $6.3 million last year.

Richardson says donors are changing as well, looking for more information about an organization before they give.

“I don’t want to be giving into a dark hole, I’d like to know I’m making a difference. I want some hope here and then I’d like a little evaluation,” she said.

Another area Victorians seem happy to support financially is arts and culture.

Households spent an average of $967 on the arts in 2007, ahead of the national average of $948.

A slowing economy might dampen that spending, but it isn’t showing signs of keeping people away from the theatre, said Ian Case, general manager of Victoria’s Intrepid Theatre.

Audiences at this year’s Fringe festival pinched pennies by buying 10-show passes and using all of their tickets, where in past years that might not have happened, he said.

He also suggested people are waking up to the arts as an economic engine that added $84 billion to the Canadian economy in 2007 and pumps life into communities.

New to this year’s report, a comparison of several indicators calls attention to the issues where the region is making progress, where it’s falling behind and where it has stagnated.

There has been progress in the rate of property crime, tourism revenue, education and unemployment.

Property crime has dropped from 5,694 offences per 100,000 population in 2006 to 4,941 last year. Tourism revenue is up from $1.16 billion in 2005 to $1.23 billion in 2007. Greater Victoria’s Composite Learning Index score went up nine points over the past year, reaching 93. And unemployment continued to decline, hitting 3.3 per cent in 2007.

But Victoria’s famously green denizens may be slipping as eco-trendsetters.

The region’s commuters have been slow to opt for new transportation options. The number of people who travel alone by car remained steady at 49 per cent. The amount of garbage the average person sends to the Hartland landfill has actually increased since 2004, reaching 446 kilograms compared to 431 four years ago.

Deborah Curran, an instructor at the University of Victoria’s environmental law clinic, attributes the waste factor to the city’s changing urban form, with more apartment dwellers having fewer opportunities to recycle and compost.

The transportation picture suggests the need to improve transit and cycling infrastructure before people will get out of their cars.

The full report, with data from all 11 areas, including immigration, health, safety and leadership, is available online at www.victoriafoundation.bc.ca.

kvass@vicnews.com