Poverty Reduction Strategies

Research Initiatives for a Rights-Based Federal Poverty Reduction Strategy

CURA research partners have also been involved with making submissions to the House of Commons and Senate committees that have looked at issues related to poverty and homelessness.

House of Commons Study on Federal Contribution to Reducing Poverty in Canada

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA Committee) held hearings in 2009 on the elimination of poverty in Canada. A number of CURA researchers and partner organizations made submissions to the Committee on the importance of using a human rights framework to address poverty:

• Leilani Farha, Feminist Alliance for International Action (31 March 2009)

• Bruce Porter on behalf of the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (23 April 2009)

• Marie White, Council of Canadians with Disabilities (7 May 2009)

• Professor Margot Young (30 November 2009)

The Standing Committee published its report, Federal Poverty Reduction Plan: Working in Partnership Towards Reducing Poverty in Canada in November 2010. However, the federal government has yet to introduce a national poverty reduction strategy.

Senate Subcommittee Study on Poverty, Housing and Homelessness

In 2007 and 2008, the Senate Subcommittee on Cities held hearings for the development of its report, In from the Margins: A Call to Action on Poverty, Housing and Homelessness. Two CURA community partners made submissions before the Subcommittee:

• Marie White, Council of Canadians with Disabilities (17 April 2008)

• Bruce Porter, Social Rights Advocacy Centre (8 May 2008)

Critical Analyses of Poverty Reduction Strategies in Canada

• Bruce Porter & Martha Jackman, International Human Rights and Strategies to Address Homelessness and Poverty in Canada: Making the Connection (2011)

• Vincent Greason, Poverty as a Human Rights Violation*
  (*Except in Governmental Anti-Poverty Strategies)*.

• Lucie Lamarche & Vincent Greason, “Poverty Impact Analysis (PIA) and Governmental Action: «Made in Québec»…Again?” (2008).

Quebec’s Act to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion

In August 2002, Quebec introduced the first provincial poverty reduction strategy in Canada. The Act to combat poverty and social exclusion was adopted unanimously on December 13, 2002 by Quebec’s National Assembly. It was introduced to guide the government in planning and implementing the objectives laid out in the National Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion.

CURA researchers have been involved with assessing Quebec’s Act and Strategy through the publication of academic research papers and development of community workshops. Through CURA community partner organization, Table ronde des OVEP de l’Outaouais (TROVEPO), public education workshops have been held throughout Quebec on the Act and Strategy. As the use of indicators and debates about the measurement of poverty have become a predominant issues in Quebec's strategy, current research is focusing on how a focus on indicators and measurement may serve to disempower those living in poverty. For further analysis of Quebec’s Act to combat poverty and social exclusion, see the following:

• Documents from TROVEPO’s Community Workshops - La nouvelle industrie de la pauvreté
• Vincent Greason, “Does struggling against poverty really produce ‘inspiring practices’” (2011).
• Vincent Greason, “Lutter localement contre la pauvreté donne-t-il réellement «Des pratiques inspirantes»?” (2011) 2:4 Revue Vie Economique 1.
• Vincent Greason & Lucie Lamarche, “Poverty Impact Analysis (PIA) and Governmental Action: «Made in Québec»…Again?” (2008).
• Bruce Porter & Martha Jackman, International Human Rights and Strategies to Address Homelessness and Poverty in Canada: Making the Connection, Working Paper, (Huntsville, ON: Social Rights Advocacy Centre, September 2011).

British Columbia

CURA researcher, Margot Young, worked with a team of researchers from a British Columbia based CURA project to develop apoverty reduction plan for British Columbia in the lead up to the 2009 provincial election. BC has some of the worst poverty rates across the country; the plan was an attempt to assist the government in developing a “detailed and accountable strategy with concrete and legislated targets and timelines to dramatically reduce and ultimately eliminate homelessness and poverty in the province.” The criteria developed for an effective strategy to address poverty in that province include: concrete targets, timelines and accountability mechanisms.