As a part of poverty reduction work, the city wants to get feedback from people with experience living in poverty.
Last night (Jan. 3), city council approved a request from the Select Committee on Poverty Reduction to apply to the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) for a $25,000 grant to develop and implement a poverty reduction consultation and engagement process.
The Select Committee on Poverty Reduction is tasked with providing draft recommendations to council by June 30, 2020, but the committee wants to ensure those recommendations will have a positive impact.
It wants to use the remainder of the year engaging with people living in poverty or who have lived experience in poverty.
“It certainly supports what the committee has suggested in terms of the process,” said Coun. Murry Krause, who is also on the poverty reduction committee.
“We are working hard to make sure we bring forward those recommendations to council by June of this year and we really do believe it’s imperative that any recommendations we make be checked against those living in or have lived experiences in poverty to make sure they really are in the end going to make a difference.”
The grant funding which will come from UBCM 2020 Poverty Reduction Plan and Assessment Stream 1 funding will cover costs of contracted resources to collect information through a series of engagement activities and consultations.
City staff is also looking at using part of the funding to hire a consultant, who has expertise on how to best engage people living in poverty.
Council noted the importance of providing items like food, childcare or remuneration to those living in poverty who may take the time to attend any engagement sessions.
“What we are not as experienced in is reaching out and talking to folks who are not as easily engaged through normal channels particularly by people with lived experience,” said Chris Bone manager of social planning, when asked about the need for a consultant.
Final recommendations of the poverty reduction committee, reflecting input gathered during the engagement process, will be presented to council before Dec. 31, 2020.
