More people will benefit from stronger and better-connected services, such as health supports, housing and food security, with government funding to develop a formal B.C. non-profit network.

Vulnerable people in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, such as those managing addictions or mental-health issues, sex workers or waste pickers, will have more access to supports through a funding increase for community partners and service providers.

The need to act fast during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to brilliant breakthroughs in supporting British Columbians with complex needs, says the chief executive officer of John Howard Society Pacific.

One size most definitely does not fit all in providing community social services, and a non-profit serving some of B.C.’s most complex citizens is a clear example of that.

The Province is working with the cities of Vancouver and Victoria to transition people living in encampments in Oppenheimer Park, Topaz Park and on Pandora Avenue into safe, temporary accommodations with wraparound supports to protect their health and safety in the overlapping COVID-19 and overdose crises.

To ensure B.C.’s most vulnerable – including people on income or disability assistance and low-income seniors – do not encounter additional barriers during the COVID-19 crisis, the Province is implementing a series of temporary supports and supplements.

As British Columbians work to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, the Province is taking swift action to protect vulnerable people, including those experiencing homelessness, in communities around British Columbia.

People experiencing poverty now have better access to income and disability assistance through a series of changes designed to give them the help they need, when they need it.