Proposed budget falls short of city's poverty reduction goals, advocate says – Winnipeg Free Press

Poverty-reduction advocates fear the City Council's proposed four-year budget will undermine a strategy to help cash-strapped residents survive amid rising taxes, fees and transit fares.

Make poverty history Manitoba representative Desiree McIvor said Wednesday's proposed spending plan lacks new funding and jobs to implement the city's poverty reduction strategy approved in November 2021.

“It's going to take a lot longer than all of us working together to accomplish,” McIvor said.

“It's unfortunate that we're asking the mayor to be a champion of the city's poverty alleviation, and if there's no funding for that, it shows that it's not a top priority for the city.”

Citywide spending on poverty reduction strategy initiatives in 2024 will total $23.5 million, including $16.8 million in operating funds, a $10 million increase in program totals compared to last year, according to budget documents.

The budget also includes one new full-time equivalent position for the city's equity office and will give the chief administrative officer future leadership over the poverty reduction strategy and newcomer welcoming and inclusion policies.

Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham called the investment in the strategy important.

“We have suspended WINNPass at last year's level, so those who rely on WINNPass will receive a transit discount (which is now) more than 50 percent,” he said.

Putting those responsible for the poverty reduction strategy under the CAO will ensure there is a “whole city approach” to implementation, he said.

However, McIvor does not appear to have budgeted for several staffing and funding requirements needed to implement the strategy over the next four years, as revealed in a public service report in November.

The report called for six new full-time equivalent positions across various departments by 2025, including two community development positions for project management, and initiatives to start in mid-2024.

He also called for $100,000 in annual operating funding for projects and increased mobile outreach funding.

At the same time, the budget proposes to eliminate one full-time equivalent position in community development and three other positions to “enhance a service-based approach.” According to the report, one new item is added to the equity capital. Funding for Mobile Outreach Support Services remains flat at $550,000.

The budget document does not specify how the $16.8 million in operational funding allocated to support the strategy will be spent.

However, it cites low-income bus fares, mobile outreach services, holiday fee subsidies, public washrooms and affordable city services as outputs.

Delayed funding for the new positions is a missed opportunity to get a needed program up and running, McIvor said.

“It's affecting a lot of Indigenous women and young people and there are no new resources, which is disappointing,” she said.

“We needed the money to start implementing the strategy so we could meet our goals and deadlines.”

The proposed fee, tax and transit fare hikes and community pool closings will further burden hard-pressed Winnipeggers, he said.

The budget proposes to increase municipal fees by an average of five percent, add a new trash collection fee for apartment buildings and condominiums, and raise transit fares by 10 cents.

“This again shows that we are last on the agenda,” he said. “This again puts a brake on poverty reduction.”

— With files from Joyanne Pursaga

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