Home Actions to date

Actions to date

Reducing poverty requires a cross-government approach, and the input from the 2017/18 poverty reduction engagement which led to the 2019 poverty reduction strategy had direct impact on the work that’s been done.

Key action have been taken in many areas since 2019:

Housing

Helping to reduce homelessness by increasing the shelter rate by $125 per month starting in July 2023 for those on income and disability assistance as part of Budget 2023
Providing a renter’s tax credit of up to $400 annually for people including those receiving income and disability assistance as part of Budget 2023
Protecting tenants and preserving affordable rental homes through the creation of a new Rental Protection Fund
Investing in the BC Rent Bank, a Vancity Community Foundation project, to develop a province-wide rent bank system that prevents homelessness by offering interest free loans to renters with low to moderate incomes who are facing a temporary financial crisis
Developing transitional housing for people experiencing homelessness on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside through BC Housing, in partnership with the City of Vancouver
Offering $600 rent supplements with integrated health and social supports to help over 3,000 people with low-incomes access housing in the private market
Doubling the current number of community integration specialists to help people experiencing homelessness navigate government programs and supports in their communities
Giving renters more security with a 2% cap on rent increases for 2023 and protections to prevent illegal renovictions
Passing the Housing Supply Act, to speed up housing development and increase supply by giving the Province the power to set housing targets in municipalities with the greatest need and highest projected growth

Families, children and youth

Providing an automatic tax-free monthly payment to low- and moderate-income families with children through the B.C. Family Benefit, to be increased by 10% in July 2023
Making childcare more affordable: further reducing childcare fees with the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative; expanding $10 a day childcare; providing the affordable childcare benefit
Investing $214 million over three years to expand existing school food programs and increase capacity to address student hunger in all districts, in partnership with the Feed BC Program as part of Budget 2023
Creating more local school meal programs to make sure students are properly fed for learning through CommunityLINK
Supporting youth in government care as they transition to adulthood with greatly expanded supports until the age of 27, including rent supplements and no-limit earnings exemptions

Education

Addressing racism and discrimination in education and creating a culture and climate of belonging for all students and staff through the K-12 Anti-Racism in Education Action Plan
Expanding post-secondary access for students living in rural and remote communities, where there are also large numbers of Indigenous students, through Contact North B.C. collaboration

Employment

Raising minimum wage benefiting as many as 400,000 British Columbians, the majority of whom are women, immigrants, or youth
Providing employment services through 102 WorkBC Centres across B.C.
Offering training and work experience through community-based projects funded through the Community and Employment Partnerships program
Allowing non-profit organizations to apply for $5,000 per eligible participant for work experience placements through the Work Experience Opportunities Grant
Requiring employers to offer five paid sick days per year to both full and part-time employees for any personal injury or illness

Income supports

Permanently increasing the income and disability assistance rates by $325 a month
Increasing the Senior’s Supplement by up to $50 per recipient, supporting about 80,000 low-income seniors
Increasing earnings exemptions for a single person on income assistance from $200 a month to $500 a month
Effective January 2024, further increasing earnings exemptions by $100 per month for people who receive income assistance as part of Budget 2023

Offering safe, affordable transportation with free transit for youth under 12
Connecting British Columbia by expanding internet access to underserved households and locations in rural and remote areas of the province
Working towards ending period poverty in B.C., by requiring schools to provide access to free menstrual products, creating a multi-sector task force, and funding innovating pilot projects

Food security

Strengthening the food supply chain across B.C. through a series of targeted initiatives in Budget 2023, including direct food support to underserved people and communities through trusted community partners such as Food Banks BC and the United Way
Supporting local Indigenous food security initiatives in rural B.C. through funding for Victoria Foundation’s Provincial Food Security Initiatives Fund
Supporting local government poverty reduction plans and initiatives including food security related projects through the Union of British Columbia Municipalities
Providing rapid access to food for people affected by emergency events such as wildfires and floods through Food Banks BC
Developing greater understanding of what challenges northern communities face, especially rural, remote, and Indigenous peoples through Food Banks BC Resilient North Research Project
Supporting regional community food hub operations, shared-use food, and beverage processing facilities, and expanding regional food hubs through United Way BC
Creating the First Nations Well Being Fund to assist B.C. First Nations and Tribal Councils to improve well-being within their communities, including food security.
Supporting the immediate needs of key populations and longer-term food security planning with funding to the United WayBC
Establishing the BC Farmers’ Market Expansion program to strengthen the ability of farmers markets to expand sales and operate during emergencies

Reconciliation

Reconciliation is one of four principles in TogetherBC. Key cross-government actions in recent years that support TogetherBC and reflect feedback from Indigenous partners and communities include:

Passing the Declaration Act on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on November 28, 2019, marking a historic shift in B.C.’s approach to reconciliation
Investing to advance reconciliation in the B.C. community social services sector in partnership with the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres
Supporting the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations in a new Centre of Excellence in First Nations Economic Development to help advance the role of First Nations in B.C.’s inclusive economy
Helping to keep Indigenous children and youth safely connected to their families, cultures, and communities through recent amendments to the Child, Family and Community Service Act
Passing the Anti-Racism Data Act as a step to dismantle systemic racism and discrimination faced by Indigenous, Black and people of colour
Adding Indigenous identity as a protected ground against discrimination in the BC Human Rights Code
Creating the First Nations Well Being Fund to support First Nations and Tribal Councils in their efforts to promote well-being, improve quality of life for community members on and off reserve, and reduce poverty at the community or Nation level
Addressing the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the criminal justice system by opening 10 new Indigenous Justice Centres as part of Budget 2023 to provide free and culturally safe places offering legal help, early resolution programs, support and representation for Indigenous Peoples

StrongerBC shares more examples of affordability measures that are making an impact for people now.

TogetherBC Annual Reports

Government prepares annual progress reports each year that describe the actions taken and progress made.