'A step in the right direction': City develops decade long-term poverty reduction plan
A new poverty reduction document is up for consideration in Winnipeg.
The city developed the first ever plan, which features 80 strategies to be implemented between now and 2023.
"I think it's a step in the right direction. It's the first one we've ever had in the city which is way, way long overdue," said homeless advocate Al Wiebe.
The 10-year plan has eight overarching goals with a priority focus on Indigenous children and families, and affordable housing.
"We can't take people off the streets because we have nowhere to put them," Wiebe said.
The report said more than 90,000 Winnipeggers are experiencing poverty, including 28 per cent of Indigenous residents and 27 per cent of newcomers.
The report also notes that 66 per cent of all people experiencing homelessness are Indigenous.
"If we don't think about what action we can take as a city to address that, I worry there is a gap there taking action on reconciliation," said Michael Barkman, chair of Make Poverty History Manitoba.
To combat this out of the gate, the strategy has 80 action items for the city to implement over the next 18 months, with help from community organizations.
Some of the strategies include:
• Making surplus land available for affordable housing at low or no cost;
• Hiring people facing employment barriers;
• Providing a living wage for all employees;
• Free transit for youth aging out of care and tokens for those unsheltered;
• Supporting a safe drug consumption site;
• Building drinking fountains in parks in low income areas; and
• Adding police board members from Indigenous and racialized groups.
Mayor Brian Bowman said he plans on voting for the strategy.
"We've been doing a lot of work to deal with some of the underlying issues that are contained in the report," Bowman said last week.
Anti-poverty advocates are urging council to vote for the strategy, but they also want a financial commitment attached, which they feel is lacking.
"Who is going to implement it is sort of the question that we worry about in terms of money," said Barkman.
Bowman added the plan is intended to work within existing resources.
"These are primarily matters of provincial jurisdiction, but there is still a role for the municipal government to play and we're trying to do what we can within a balanced budget," said Bowman.
The executive policy committee is set to vote on the plan Wednesday and then council will vote later this month.
If the plan is approved, city staff will come back with a status update on the implementation plan and new actions to be considered for the four-year budget process starting in 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.