In the 2000s, community advocates spent several years calling for a comprehensive provincial poverty reduction plan that shows Manitobans how far we have come and where the province plans to go in its efforts to reduce poverty and social exclusion. In the absence of a provincial government process, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-Manitoba (CCPA-MB), in collaboration with Make Poverty History Manitoba and many other organizations, prepared The View From Here: Manitobans Call For a Poverty Reduction Plan, originally released in 2009. This report was based on the ideas and policy recommendations resulting from consultations and interviews with hundreds of individuals across Manitoba. It provided a reasonable and realistic plan that built on the progress made by the province, and was endorsed by over 70 organizations.
Also in 2009, the province introduced its All Aboard poverty reduction and social inclusion strategy. While the strategy did not address the need for targets and timelines, it was a significant response to the community’s efforts and an important step towards demonstrating leadership in the fight against poverty in Manitoba. The introduction of the strategy led to the The Poverty Reduction Strategy Act in 2011, which embeds in legislation a government commitment to reducing poverty.
Given that the policy landscape has changed since 2009, and that the province will be required by legislation to update its strategy in 2017, community advocates believe that now is the time to renew The View from Here 2009. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives–Manitoba and the Canadian Community Economic Development Network–Manitoba (CCEDNet-Manitoba) have been working with community partners to present a renewed package of policy recommendations that should be included in Manitoba’s updated strategy to ensure it takes a comprehensive and long-term approach to poverty reduction and social inclusion.
This renewed report looks at progress that has been made in other jurisdictions with poverty reduction plans; it reports on the progress made in Manitoba using the indicators that were proposed in our 2009 report; it includes the latest poverty statistics for Manitoba; it builds a case for continuing efforts through a made in Manitoba poverty reduction plan; it outlines the essential components of a meaningful poverty reduction plan as well as a comprehensive package of policies and programs that should be included in Manitoba’s updated poverty reduction strategy.
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Table of Contents
| ENDORSEMENTS | ||
| EXECUTIVE SUMMARY | ||
| Our Poverty Indicators | ||
| Our Recommended Priority Actions | ||
| Housing | ||
| Income Security | ||
| Education | ||
| Funding | ||
| Food Security | ||
| Transportation | ||
| Disability Supports | ||
| Health | ||
| Child Welfare | ||
| INTRODUCTION | ||
| Poverty Reduction Plans in Other Jurisdictions: What is Working | ||
| The State of Poverty in Manitoba | ||
| Who is Poor? | ||
| Gender, Family Type and Age | ||
| Aboriginal Population | ||
| Newcomers | ||
| Persons With Disabilities | ||
| The Case for a Made in Manitoba Poverty Reduction Plan | ||
| OUR PLAN FOR MANITOBA | ||
| Consultations | ||
| A Comprehensive and Coordinated Approach | ||
| Targets and Timelines to Measure Progress | ||
| Accountability Mechanisms | ||
| A Role for Everyone | ||
| OUR RECOMMENDED PRIORITY ACTIONS | ||
| 1. Housing | ||
| 2. Income Security: | ||
| Employment and Income Assistance | ||
| Jobs | ||
| Wages | ||
| Employment Standards and Legislation | ||
| 3. Education: | ||
| Early Learning and Child Care | ||
| Kindergarten to Grade Twelve | ||
| Post-Secondary Education | ||
| Adult Learning and Training | ||
| Intergenerational Education | ||
| 4. Funding | ||
| 5. Food Security | ||
| 6. Transportation | ||
| 7. Disability Supports | ||
| 8. Health | ||
| 9. Child Welfare | ||
| CONCLUSION | ||
| ENDNOTES | ||
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