Key Highlights:
- The report was informed by discussions with people living with poverty and people with lived experience of poverty, community organizations, academics, and experts. These discussions were held virtually during 5 thematic sessions and in-person in 4 regions across the country.
- The report reflects the tone of this year’s conversations. These felt heavier than in the past as people shared their feelings of hopelessness, isolation, and loneliness. People described feeling desperate for urgent action to help bring stability amid continuously increasing costs, inadequate wages and benefits, and a rising poverty rate.
- The Council reports on the progress made toward the Government’s poverty reduction targets this year amidst the convergence of multiple crises caused by the high cost of living, housing challenges, the opioid crisis, climate change and the post-COVID environment. It emphasizes that in addition to urgent action, poverty reduction efforts need to provide sustainable results and focus on prevention and upstream actions to eliminate poverty.
- In this report, the Council has made 6 recommendations under 3 themes:
- Meeting vital needs to thrive: this includes measures to address the higher costs of living, decrease core housing needs, and increase food security.
- Improving access to benefits and service delivery: this includes the need for low-barrier and equitable measures to facilitate access to benefits and services and additional supports to systems navigation initiatives and the non-profit sector.
- Building strong communities and enabling equity: this includes a plan to address poverty inequality to decrease the poverty rate in marginalized groups.
| Date | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Subject | |
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