Cities Reducing Poverty Policy Digest - September/October 2020

Welcome to the September/October 2020 Edition of the Cities Reducing Poverty Policy Digest, which aims to provide you with timely poverty-related policy updates and resources from across Canada.  

Highlights: 

• Statistics Canada Data Perspective and Insights for a Better Canada: A series of articles exploring the impact of COVID-19 on the socio-economic landscape 
• September Labour Force Survey 
• Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan continues to be updated 
• Survey on COVID-19 Impact to Canadians open 
• Canada’s official Dashboard of Poverty Indicators for September  

 National Policy Updates and Related Articles: 

• From CERB to EI - flexible and more accessible 
• New Rapid Housing Initiative administered as part of National Housing Strategy to create up to 3000 affordable housing units 
• The Women's Pandemic - how COVID has disproportionately affected women 
• Coronavirus impacts on poverty 
• Universal Basic Income in post-pandemic Canada 
• record high level of youth not in education, employment or training (NEET) 
• Caregiver Benefit now available for Canadians missing work due to COVID 
• Emergency Rent Subsidy for businesses  
• Federal government creating a Canada-wide early learning and childcare system  
• Government of Canada measures delivering support for young people this fall  

Policy Proposals and Campaigns 

• Chew on This! Dignity for All Campaign nationally marks International Day for the Eradication of Poverty  
• Hundreds of organizations endorse Just Recovery for All principles 
• National campaign to end homelessness Recovery for All 

 Updates by Province and Territory:  

Alberta: 

• Minister vows no cuts to AISH benefits 
• Social Policy Trends: The adequacy of Social Assistance Income 

British Columbia: 

• New plan maps next steps forward in BC's economic recovery 
• Supports extended for youth aging out of care 
• More mental health supports to help vulnerable people, communities 

Manitoba: 

• Province plans on providing supplementary funding for municipalities to support COVID response 

New Brunswick: 

• Community funding and equalization grants for 2021  

Newfoundland and Labrador: 

• Budget 2020 focusing on supporting families, communities and businesses for the pandemic announces $25 a day childcare for 2021, a Small Business Assistance Program and investments in access to technology for digital learning for students  

Nova Scotia: 

• 97% of Nova Scotians will be able to access high-speed internet by fall 2022 
• Federal and Provincial governments sign agreement to launch portable housing benefit in Nova Scotia this year 

Northwest Territories: 

• Minister of Finance dismisses sales tax 
• New funding to support re-opening of schools 

Nunavut: 

• Nunavut government to look at feasibility of a guaranteed basic income 

Ontario: 

• Province modernizes Social Assistance to help more people re-enter the workforce 

Prince Edward Island: 

• Community organizations to receive more funding support from the province  

Québec: 

• Government providing $2.3 billion to municipalities and public transit to offset cost of COVID   
• Public Inquiry Commission into Relations between Indigenous Peoples and public services one year of action 

Saskatchewan: 

• Government commits to mental health and wellness services for Indigenous youth 
• Tourism Sector Support Program expanded to support more businesses and organizations 

Yukon Territory: 

• Community projects receive funding to support violence against Indigenous women and girls 
• New partnerships to improve access to technology for K-12 First Nations students 

The Latest Policy Resources and Perspectives: 

• New: Small Business Recovery Dashboard 

First Policy Response: 

• Canada’s Policy Community Response to COVID-19 includes updates on key topics: Income support for individuals, support for business, support for the community sector and support for the vulnerable as well as an economic overview, sectoral issues, cities and recovery  

Federation for Canadian Municipalities: 

• COVID Municipal Hub features updates to federal, provincial/territorial tools and resources for communities and businesses 
• Guide: Building Sustainable Communities with Asset Management 

Prosper Canada:  

• Financial Relief Navigator for people to help raise income or lower expenses  

Maytree:

• COVID-19 Resources and Responses 
• September 2020 newsletter 

Brookfield Institute:  

• Report on Empowering communities to ensure digital literacy access for youth 

Broadbent Institute: 

• COVID-19 Resource and Response Centre  

Wellesley Institute:  

• Jurisdictional scan of COVID-19 income transfer programs across Canada 

Open Policy Ontario:  

•  Latest publications including the growing nutrition crisis in the COVID 19 recession  

Centre for Policy Alternatives:

• Addressing vulnerabilities for a more equitable pandemic response 

Canadian Urban Institute:

• City Watch Canada  continues to track emergency measures put in place by local governments 
• City Share Canada crowdsourcing platform for tools, resources and stories