Poverty Reduction Strategy

The Poverty Reduction Strategy will become the foundation for the City of Winnipeg’s work in poverty reduction going forward, by clarifying the City’s role, identifying priority short and long term actions, and setting out an implementation plan that includes review and renewal.

The challenges faced by Winnipeggers living in poverty are significant. While the City cannot alone lift people out of poverty, it can collaborate with other levels of government and organizations through deliberate and collective actions that will help break cycles of poverty for future generations. The Poverty Reduction Strategy will help the purposeful alignment of programs and services for greater collective impact in reducing poverty.

Costs associated with strategy development and stakeholder engagement for this project are minimal, as the City is using internal resources as much as possible. We are working with community members and organizations to harness community knowledge and ideas as much as possible.

We are working with community members and organizations to harness community knowledge and ideas as much as possible to develop a strategy that reflects community priorities. If you have ideas or questions, please contact Noelle DePape at ndepape@winnipeg.ca or 204-226-3482.

More information on resources for people experiencing poverty is available at:

• Supporting Winnipeggers
• 211 Manitoba
• Winnipeg Outreach Network Resource Guide
• Winnipeg Poverty Reduction Council
• Make Poverty History Manitoba
  

While the City of Winnipeg alone cannot end poverty, it has an important role to play in reducing poverty.  By developing a Poverty Reduction Strategy, the City will be better positioned to work with the Provincial and Federal governments, and community partners, on initiatives to reduce poverty in our city.  The City of Winnipeg Charter Act, our governing legislation, states that one of the City’s purposes is to ‘promote and maintain the health, safety, and welfare of the inhabitants’ which sets the stage for the City’s role in poverty reduction.

Section 5(1) of the City of Winnipeg Charter Act:

1. To provide good government for the city;
2. To provide services, facilities or other things that council considers to be necessary or desirable for all or part of the city;
3. To develop and maintain safe, orderly, viable and sustainable communities; and
4. To promote and maintain the health, safety, and welfare of the inhabitants

In addition to the Poverty Reduction Strategy that is being developed, many of the City's programs and services currently offered are of benefit to people experiencing poverty.  In spring 2019, the City documented current measures being taken that related to poverty reduction. A total of 146 current measures were documented and organized into three categories:

• Meeting Basic Needs (Transportation; Life-safety; Income/Training/Education; Housing/Shelter; Food)
• Accessing Services & Supports (Education/Literacy; Early Learning and Care; Connections; Accessibility; Health/Mental Health)
• Strengthening Community Connections (Social Inclusion; Recreation/Culture; Healthy Environments; Community Safety; Engagement)