--- title: Cities Reducing Poverty Responds to COVID-19 description: Through the COVID-19 crisis, Vibrant Communities – Cities Reducing Poverty (VC–CRP) has responded to meet urgent community needs through a wide variety of mechanisms and partnerships image: https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/Photos/Image%20Library/Cities%20Reducing%20Poverty.jpeg --- [![20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Administration/Tamarack%20Logos/20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange.png?width=200&height=47&name=20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange.png "20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange")](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/?hsLang=en-us) # Cities Reducing Poverty Responds to COVID-19 Posted on June 1, 2020 [By Alison Homer](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/author/alison-homer) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![Engage May COVID Report](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Engage%20May%20COVID%20Report.png?width=300&name=Engage%20May%20COVID%20Report.png)](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/library/cities-reducing-poverty-responding-to-covid-19?hsLang=en)Through the COVID-19 crisis, Vibrant Communities – Cities Reducing Poverty (VC–CRP) has responded to meet urgent community needs through a wide variety of mechanisms and partnerships. Our 81 members, representing 328 communities, have demonstrated creativity, commitment, and compassion as they support their communities’ most vulnerable. Through 60 stories of innovation and resilience, [*Cities Reducing Poverty: Responding to COVID-19*](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/library/cities-reducing-poverty-responding-to-covid-19?hsLang=en) provides a point-in-time snapshot of how CRP member communities are responding to COVID-19 across Canada and the USA. The report was written to acknowledge the innovative efforts of CRP member communities, and to provide members with fresh ideas and insights that they can use to build resilience and strengthen their own responses. CRP members are providing food and housing, supporting local businesses, improving access to transportation, expanding financial empowerment services, and fostering health and education. They are streamlining service delivery, coordinating information sharing, enhancing multi-sectoral partnerships, and initiating emergency response action teams. Members are also creating advocacy opportunities for fellow members to engage in key policy proposals such as Universal Basic Income. ![Engage May CRP](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Engage%20May%20CRP.png?width=600&name=Engage%20May%20CRP.png) Throughout this crisis, the ability of CRP members to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 has been evident. While COVID-19 has exacerbated social and economic inequalities, it has also built momentum for collaboration. Across Canada and the USA, multi-sectoral poverty reduction roundtables are partnering across sectors to adapt programming and to drive policy and system change in a way that ensures that nobody gets left behind. In the coming months, as the CRP network’s focus shifts from emergency response to social recovery, our team remains committed to creating opportunities and space for members to learn and connect. We would like to thank each of our members for sharing your stories of innovation and resilience, and for your ongoing contributions to our learning community. **Take Your Learning Further:** - Read *Cities Reducing Poverty: Responding to COVID-*19: [Full Report](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/library/cities-reducing-poverty-responding-to-covid-19?hsLang=en) and [Executive Summary](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/Resources/Publications/Executive%20Summary%20Cities%20reducing%20Poverty%20Responding%20to%20COVID.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - Learn more about [Cities Reducing Poverty](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/citiesreducingpoverty?hsLang=en): Read the [2020 CRP membership brochure](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/library/vibrant-communities-cities-reducing-poverty-membership?hsLang=en), and [sign up for our bi-monthly newsletter](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/cities-reducing-poverty-subscribe?__hstc=163327267.6e501f65f4095e36261a88cb15aa5c8c.1575768193090.1588273932289.1588278733573.214&__hssc=163327267.1.1588359303400&__hsfp=3050348094&hsCtaTracking=1c15ce0e-2a18-41f0-a989-e6afbfad5053%7Ce415f716-bca0-4333-bd5e-6e0379ad90a4&hsLang=en) - [Reach out to Alison Homer](mailto:alison@tamarackcommunity.ca) to learn more about CRP membership opportunities Topics: [Alison Homer](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/topic/alison-homer), [Cities Reducing Poverty](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/topic/cities-reducing-poverty), [Blog](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/topic/blog), [COVID-19](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/topic/covid-19) ![Alison Homer](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/Photos/Staff%20Photos%202026/Alison%20Homer%202.jpg) ### By [Alison Homer](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/author/alison-homer) Advancing a vision of ending poverty in Canada, Alison provides leadership and drives excellence within Communities Ending Poverty (CEP). Her team actions an initial focus on ending working poverty, partnering with thought leaders and members from multiple sectors to identify levers and opportunities, influence policies, and shift systems. ## Related Posts [![](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/Summit-for-strength-dias.png)](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/event-recap-communities-ending-poverty-summit-for-strength?hsLang=en-us) #### [Event Recap: Communities Ending Poverty: Summit for Strength](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/event-recap-communities-ending-poverty-summit-for-strength?hsLang=en-us) [![](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/Hands-together.png)](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/together-for-strength-policy-change-and-community?hsLang=en-us) #### [Together for Strength, Policy Change, and Community](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/together-for-strength-policy-change-and-community?hsLang=en-us) [![](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/illiyeen-nelson-boat_cropped_edited.jpg)](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/nelson-at-its-best-drives-successful-poverty-reduction-strategy-implementation?hsLang=en-us) #### [Nelson at its Best drives successful poverty reduction strategy implementation](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/nelson-at-its-best-drives-successful-poverty-reduction-strategy-implementation?hsLang=en-us) [![BACK TO THE LATEST](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/316071/e6ffa9bb-4467-4833-8ecc-eb340b11d829.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/316071/e6ffa9bb-4467-4833-8ecc-eb340b11d829) [![20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Administration/Tamarack%20Logos/20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange.png?width=3401&name=20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange.png "20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange")](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/?hsLang=en-us) ### Tamarack [Home](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/?hsLang=en-us) [Latest](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest) [Events](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/eventlisting?hsLang=en-us) [Donate](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/donate?hsLang=en-us) [About](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/whoweare?hsLang=en-us) ### Follow Us [** ** ](https://www.facebook.com/TamarackInstitute) [** ** ](https://twitter.com/Tamarack_Inst) [** ** ](https://www.linkedin.com/company/tamarack-institute-for-community-engagement)   In the spirit of respect, reciprocity, and truth we honour and acknowledge that our work occurs across Turtle Island (North America), which has been home since time immemorial to the ancestors of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples. ### Subscribe Be in the know. 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