BC only province left with no poverty reduction strategy

Poverty statistics released by Statistics Canada in December 2014 show once again that B.C. has one of the highest poverty rates in Canada.  One in ten British Columbians are living in poverty, meaning 469,000 people are struggling to make ends meet. Relative to the rest of the country, B.C. is tied third with Quebec after Ontario and Manitoba. This news comes on the heels of First Call Coalition’s 2014 BC Child Poverty Report Card that shows one in five BC children are still poor.  The first report card published in 1994, also reported one in five BC children were poor. The BC Poverty Reduction Coalition, funded in part by the United Way British Columbia, hopes to address issues of poverty head on in 2015.  The coalition of over 40 non-profit and community organizations and 400 supporting groups, including the United Way, is advocating for a provincial poverty reduction plan that focuses on integrated strategies to address issues including low wages, access to adequate housing, affordable childcare, funded public education and health services. Despite having some of the highest poverty rates in Canada, BC is the only province left with no poverty reduction strategy. Quebec was the first province in Canada to introduce a legislated poverty reduction strategy.  The proportion of people living on low incomes in Quebec has dropped from 12% in 2004 to 10.4% in 2014. The Government of Saskatchewan is the latest to commit to developing a poverty reduction strategy in an announcement made in October 2014. The BC Poverty Reduction Coalition recently introducted a Human Rights Framework to poverty through a newsletter to supporters. This human rights approach to poverty reduction is based on a fundamental respect for human dignity that goes beyond just charity.  It recognizes people in poverty as rights-bearers entitled to assert legal claims rather than only being passive recipients of charitable aid. United Way British Columbia supports a poverty reduction strategy in BC and the need for  advocacy to help move families from poverty to possibility.  There is a lot of work to be done, but together we can work to lift people out of poverty and build thriving, strong communities for all.