City Council today voted unanimously to approve the Toronto Poverty Reduction Strategy 2019-2022 Term Action Plan. It’s the second plan developed as part of the 20-year lifecycle of the Poverty Reduction Strategy (2015-2035).
The report considered by City Council noted that the first Poverty Reduction Strategy Term Action Plan (2015-2018) led to approximately $181 million (net) in new and enhanced programs and services as part of the City’s investments. These investments were made to stabilize and strengthen programs and services supporting low-income Torontonians, and to create a foundation for further systemic change.
Over the term of the new action plan, the City will carry out 31 term actions and 89 activities, aligned with the 17 Council-approved recommendations, to achieve the strategy’s objectives of addressing immediate needs, creating pathways to prosperity and driving systemic change for those living in poverty in Toronto.
Like the previous term action plan, this updated plan’s actions will fall under the six core themes of food access, housing stability, service access, transportation equity, systemic change and quality jobs/livable incomes.
The plan includes developing an Indigenous-led Poverty Reduction Strategy Action Plan, advancing the City of Toronto’s commitments to reconciliation, fully implementing the Fair Pass Discount Program and continuing implementation of the 10-year Child Care Growth and Capital Strategy.
Thirty-three of the activities can be completed using existing resources and are base funded; 25 activities are planned but require new and/or enhanced resources over the course of the Term Action Plan; and 31 activities are in development. The resources required for implementation are either contained within the existing base budgets of the relevant divisions or programs, or are subject to new and/or enhanced requests through future budget processes.
The work plan with the complete list of actions and activities is appended to the report as Attachment B, available at toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2019/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-139481.pdf.
When the 20-year Poverty Reduction Strategy was adopted by Council in 2015, it directed that an action plan be developed every four years, coinciding with each term of Council. Updating the plan at regular intervals provides an opportunity to engage with residents and refine the specific actions and activities Toronto will focus on as its strategic priorities to advance the objectives of the 17 recommendations. The updates take into account changes in circumstances, demographics, data and technology, and assessments of program effectiveness.
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).
The Poverty Reduction Strategy 2015-2025 is available at http://www.toronto.ca/toprosperity.
Quotes:
“The Poverty Reduction Strategy action plan will make real, impactful change in our city and in the lives of our residents. Our city is booming, but it is not booming for everyone. As many areas of our city prosper and thrive, we must work and the other governments must work with us to address those who still find themselves far removed from that prosperity.”
– Mayor John Tory
“The City is the first point of contact with residents. We see when residents are struggling to find employment, affordable homes and child care, and access to affordable transit and quality food sources. We’ve made great strides in the first four years of the plan to start tackling poverty in the city, but there’s still much more to be done. With input from residents, we have a solid plan to continue this work.”
– Councillor Anthony Perruzza (Ward 7 Humber River-Black Creek), City Council’s Poverty Reduction Advocate
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