Amidst high inflation and cost-of-living challenges in 2022, British Columbia took substantive action on reconciliation, housing and child care, affordability, and community supports for those with complex needs.

Employers will have access to more free online resources helping them build and maintain psychologically safe and healthy workplaces thanks to a $700,000 provincial grant to the B.C. division of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA-BC).

The 2021 Annual Report on TogetherBC: B.C.’s Poverty Reduction Strategy shows poverty rates continued to decline as people benefited from COVID-19 relief and cross-government actions.

Indigenous and Black women, women of colour (IBPOC) and their families will see continued assistance from the local non-profit organization Support Network for Indigenous Women and Women of Colour (SNIWWOC), due to a $50,000 grant from the Province.

People who are vulnerable and and have low incomes will be supported with more than $440,000 in government funding for local poverty-reduction projects on Vancouver Island and in coastal communities.

A new labour market study will provide insights into British Columbia’s non-profit sector and help identify solutions to sector-wide challenges.

Nicholas Simons, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, and Mitzi Dean, Minister of Children and Family Development, have issued the following statement in recognition of Community Social Services Awareness Month, March 1-31:

Local governments will have the opportunity to apply for the third round of the Province’s Poverty Reduction Planning and Action Program grants to help develop local strategies and solutions to address poverty.