Today, City staff released the Toronto Poverty Reduction Strategy 2019-2022 Term Action Plan.
This is the second action plan to be developed during the 20-year lifecycle of the Poverty Reduction Strategy (2015-2035), the City’s plan to address immediate needs, create pathways to prosperity and drive systemic change for those living in poverty in the city.
The report notes that between 2015 and 2019, City Council approved approximately $181 million (net) in new and enhanced programs and services as part of the City’s investments for the first Poverty Reduction Strategy Term Action Plan (2015-2018). These investments were made to stabilize and strengthen programs and services supporting low-income Torontonians, and to create a foundation for further systemic change.
The plan will be considered by the Executive Committee on November 14. The agenda item is available at http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2019.EX10.1.
When the 20-year Poverty Reduction Strategy was adopted by Council in November 2015, it directed that an action plan be developed every four years, coinciding with each term of Council. The objectives of the 2015-2018 Term Action Plan were to stabilize and strengthen programs and services supporting low-income Torontonians to mitigate the impacts of poverty and to create a strong foundation for further systemic change to reduce poverty in Toronto. The new 2019-2022 Term Action Plan puts a greater emphasis on impact and outcomes.
The 2019-2022 plan includes six thematic areas that are aligned to with the Strategy’s Council-approved 17 recommendations:
• housing stability
• service access
• transportation equity
• food access
• quality jobs and livable incomes, and
• systemic change.
The plan outlines 31 actions to be implemented over the course of Council’s current term. City staff will report on progress, as well as on any resources needed to implement the plan, through the City’s annual budget process. A complete list of actions is appended to the report as Attachment A, available at A complete list of actions is appended to the report as Attachment A, available at https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2019/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-139480.pdf.
In addition, the report includes a progress report on what was achieved through the 2015-2018 Term Action Plan, including:
• stabilizing funding for the 110,000 tenants of Toronto Community Housing, and advanced the development of the Tenants First Implementation Plan
• expanding the number of centres in low-income neighbourhoods where recreation programs are free to 18
• increasing transit affordability for over 68,000 low-income residents by implementing the first phase of the Fair Pass Program
• improving access to nutritious food for children by expanding funding and adding new participating schools to student nutrition programs, achieving the City’s 20 per cent funding target
• implementation of an award-winning social procurement program with over $4 million of contracts awarded to certified diverse suppliers
• embedding lived experience into 20 City-based and external service planning and decision-making processes through the creation of the Lived Experience Advisory. Group currently accepting applications for the next term (February 2020-January 2023).
Details can be found at https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/accountability-operations-customer-service/long-term-vision-plans-and-strategies/poverty-reduction-strategy/lived-experience-advisory-poverty-reduction/.
Once approved by Executive Committee, the report will be considered by City Council at its meeting scheduled for November 26 and 27.
Quotes:
“Over the past four years, we have made sure we are investing in this plan to reduce poverty in our city. This important work must carry on. Approval of the 2019-2020 Term Action Plan will ensure these efforts continue. This plan presents a holistic approach to mitigate the effects of poverty and will help real people in our city, including many families. Reducing poverty will require a concerted effort across our society and I remain committed to working with our partners in the other governments along with all those dedicated to fighting poverty in our city.”
– Mayor John Tory
“The direct impacts of poverty are often borne by the City through the services and supports that we offer. Therefore, it is our job to mitigate the impacts of and reduce poverty in the Toronto. But we can’t do this alone. We need to tap into and strengthen our strategic partnerships to advance poverty reduction initiatives across Toronto.”
– Councillor Anthony Perruzza (Ward 7 Humber River-Black Creek), City Council’s Poverty Reduction Advocate
Toronto is Canada’s largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of more than 2.9 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world’s most livable cities. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cityoftoronto, on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cityofto.