The province needs a plan to reduce poverty by a third over the next four years, advocates said Thursday as they issued an open letter to all B.C. political parties.
The letter, which was signed by 200 organizations, calls on politicians to create a comprehensive poverty- reduction plan with legislated targets and timelines.
It aims for a 30 per cent decline in the poverty rate in the next four years as well as a 75 per cent decline over the next decade.
As well, the letter calls for an end to people sleeping outside within two years and for an end to homelessness in eight years.
To meet these goals, poverty activists have identified seven policy actions including universal public childcare, increased income support for the unemployed and increased wages for the working poor.
