Sustainable Livelihoods: Surviving to Thriving

Imagine...every person has a sustainable livelihood and contributes to their community. This is the vision that guides Momentum’s work.

At Momentum we understand that success for many participants means income growth but also so much more. A sustainable livelihood is “the capabilities, assets, and activities required for a means of living. A livelihood is sustainable when it can cope with and recover from stresses and shocks, maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets both now and in the future”. Supporting participants towards a sustainable livelihood requires empowering participants to develop tools to weather the unknowns in life.

At the end of 2018, Momentum launched an evaluation project using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework to measure the holistic and long-term impacts of our longer-term, high-touch programs. We wanted to understand how the programs offered at Momentum were creating a lasting difference in participants lives, and we wanted to apply those learnings to improve the work that we do. We also understand that it can take time to make changes in one’s life and move towards a sustainable livelihood, which is why we continue to follow-up with participants over a two-year period. 

We share a snapshot of the results of this work each year through our Sustainable Livelihoods Brief: Sustainable Livelihoods Report | Momentum

2026 Sustainable Livelihoods Report Highlights

In 2026, Momentum captured the progress and stories of an additional 63 participants, bringing the total included in the Sustainable Livelihoods Long-Term Evaluation (SLLTE) project up to 344. The world and economy has changed significantly since 2018, but Momentums participants continue to learn and grow in an effort to thrive. In the past two years, 68% of participants moved towards a sustainable livelihood, which is just above the 66% average across the entirety of the project. 

Sustainable livelihoods progress is a broad number that captures accomplishments like:

• 84% of participants increased in skills and knowledge in money management, and
• 90% of participants were more hopeful about the future, 

Progress in achieving a sustainable livelihood was further strengthened by a significant number of graduates that increased their income after taking a Momentum program:

• 69% of participants increased their income,
• 89% increase in income ($27,250) was seen for those that grew their income, and
• Participants receiving income support halved from 30% to 15% in two years.

Participants shared in their own words: 

“For me honestly the most important thing was credit and how to build your credit score and that was really important for me. I followed the tools and instruction. I have good savings from the past 2.5 years, I have about $60k in saving for buying a home one day.”

– Plumbing and Pipefitting 2023 graduate

“I got a lot of support from Momentum that was not technical too; Social skills, asking questions, learning how to work with others. Things that are skills I apply to this day.”

– AWS Re/Start 2023 graduate

“It's very, very rewarding and grateful to know this knowledge that I didn't know before and now I do, and I've just been building it up ever since. So yay!”

– Youth Fair Gains 2023 graduate

This year’s reports saw a new addition of an economic analysis that strengthened Momentum’s understanding of our impact on Calgarians income.

Pandemic-Proof Progress: Graduates Maintain Stable Income Growth Trends

Even during the economic disruptions of the pandemic, high touch program graduates maintained steady income growth, showing resilience where average Calgary income trends were negatively affected.

Two Years Later: Graduates See Income Increases Beyond City Averages

At two years post-program, the majority of graduates reported increased incomes that consistently exceeded Statistics Canada’s year-over-year income growth figures for Calgary, highlighting sustained economic gains.

Explore the Full Report: Insights and Analysis

The complete report offers a deeper look at the data, trends, methods, and additional findings from the high-touch programs, providing valuable context for understanding its impact on participants’ livelihoods. Using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, we are able to see the measurable impact of our work within the lives of our participants. It shows that our vision is something we can and should continue striving for: where every person has a sustainable livelihood and contributes to their community. With every program graduation, every new small business, and every participant empowered to manage their finances we move one step closer to creating a thriving local economy for all.

Read more here: Sustainable Livelihoods Report | Momentum