Taking on poverty in our city

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/5/2019 (250 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

One in eight people in Winnipeg live in poverty. One in four Indigenous people and recent immigrants live in poverty. Almost one in five children live in poverty. No matter where we live in Winnipeg, poverty affects all of us.  

This information comes from Stats Canada and the 2016 census. It was included in a report made to council that I pushed hard for to look into poverty in Winnipeg by speaking with stakeholders, finding out what current measures the City takes, and what we can further do to reduce poverty. This was an important first step.  

Growing up in Daniel McIntyre I have always been inspired by how our community looks out for each other and are always willing to help those in need. Addressing poverty and making sure other people’s voices are heard has always been a passion for me.  This is why I became involved in politics.    

With the advocacy and support of groups like the Make Poverty History Manitoba coalition I have been able to champion this work at City Hall and build support with my fellow councillors.

I put forward a motion for the City of Winnipeg to lead the development of a Poverty Reduction Strategy and it was unanimously passed at the executive policy committee meeting on April 30. This motion calls for the development of a comprehensive strategy to take additional measures to reduce poverty along with goals and objectives.  

Some of the measures include; better communication to increase awareness of the current City supports available to low income residents and hiring more Indigenous people. As we update the current Winnipeg housing strategy we can look at how we can support the development of more affordable housing. One of the measures to consider is to look at zoning rules that would make developers include low-income housing as part of any new development. 

Poverty is a complex issue to address and all levels of government need to be involved.  As we plan City policy, having a lens that takes into account the objective of reducing poverty can help us reach that goal. Thanks to everyone on the front lines helping people — please know your work is appreciated.