SRD Receives Nearly $148,000 To Move Forward With Poverty Reduction Strategy

The Strathcona Regional District has received nearly $148,000 to move forward with a Poverty Reduction Strategy for the region.

The Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction is providing funding to support local governments in reducing poverty at the local level and to support the Province’s own poverty reduction strategy, TogetherBC.

The SRD’s Poverty Reduction Plan will be developed in partnership with the City of Campbell River and the Campbell River Coalition to End Homelessness, with engagement with member municipalities, First Nations, community organizations, service providers, and people with lived and living experience to gather information and plan ways to break the cycle of poverty.

The SRD says the plan will blend the unique needs of the rural and remote communities throughout the region with the urban-centric needs of Campbell River, with a focus on the following priority action areas:

• Housing
• Families, children, and youth
• Education and training
• Employment
• Income support
• Social support
• Discrimination and stigma
• Safe, affordable, transportation

Increased access to affordable housing will be a significant focus of the plan due to the rising cost of renting or buying a home in the region.

The plan is set to produce a set of recommendations for local governments to improve access to supportive services for those living in poverty, for new or improved local government initiatives to reduce poverty, and an implementation plan to bring recommendations to life.

The project team is currently finalizing the hiring of a consultant with community engagement opportunities to be coming in the near future.

For more information, visit the SRD’s Poverty Reduction Plan project page at Poverty Reduction Plan.