14 BC Members Receive Provincial Funding for Poverty Reduction

The Government of British Columbia has announced $5M in funding through the Poverty Reduction Planning and Action Program that will empower 54 local governments to create on-the-ground solutions to ending poverty. The program supports the rollout of TogetherBC, the province's first poverty reduction strategy, and marks the first time that local governments have received provincial funding to develop and implement local poverty reduction plans.

The successful proposals, ranging from $16,000 to $150,000, will each adopt collaborative approaches that will involve people with lived/living experience, poverty reduction organizations, businesses, and local First Nations and Indigenous organizations.

Tamarack would like to congratulate our 14 Cities Reducing Poverty members who have received funding for the following projects:

City of Cranbrook: In partnership with the Regional District of East Kootenay, to develop the region’s first poverty reduction strategy.
City of Grand Forks: Via the Kootenay-Boundary Regional District, partnered with the City of Greenwood and the Village of Midway, to develop the region’s first poverty reduction strategy.
District of Mission: To update their 2006 Social Development Plan that will incorporate a Game Changer approach to aligning strategies and targets with their local poverty reduction plan.
City of Nelson: To develop the City’s first poverty reduction plan.
City of New Westminster: For tax-filing and income boosting supports, and for an arts-based project that will reduce stigma around poverty and support social inclusion.
District of Port Hardy: To develop the District’s first poverty reduction plan in conjunction with the renewal of their Official Community Plan (OCP).
City of Powell River: In partnership with qathet Regional District and Tla’amin Nation, to develop the region’s first poverty reduction plan. Their plan will bring a shared regional vision for poverty reduction and a plan to collectively address the work.
City of Prince George: For a comprehensive engagement process that will test recommendations for the City’s first poverty reduction strategy.
City of Revelstoke: To develop an affordable housing regulatory toolkit, including bylaws and social policies, that will support the implementation of a proactive Housing Action Plan.
City of Trail: For the five municipalities of the Lower Columbia to implement elements of their regional poverty reduction strategy, Thriving For All.
City of Williams Lake: For a housing capacity building project that will support local non-profits to pitch proposed affordable housing projects to BC Housing and other housing providers.
District of Stewart: To improve food security from a variety of angles, including providing hot meals, providing opportunities to develop cooking skills, providing emergency food services and providing the opportunity to grow food locally.
City of Surrey: To scale up their poverty fact sheets, and to do light, contactless community engagement as part of their 2012 Poverty Reduction Plan update.
City of Vancouver: For an affordable transportation pilot pass program.

On July 21, poverty reduction practitioners will convene online, on the BC Communities Reducing Poverty Community of Practice (BC CoP), to meet with other communities that plan to engage in similar projects.

On this call, Tamarack will be introducing an online expert and peer coaching learning series that will offer training and pacing to local governments that intend to develop poverty reduction plans. The July BC CoP call is open to all poverty reduction practitioners, including those who received Round 1 funding, and those who plan to apply for the program’s next intake. Please register here to join the conversation.

Tamarack would like to thank the BC Government and the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) for this much-needed support, and wish our members the best as they roll out their projects.

Read the Government of BC's Funding announcement.

Get Involved: