Fourth poverty reduction plan launched
Press Release
February 19, 2025
CAMPBELLTON – The Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation has released Overcoming Poverty Together 4: The New Brunswick Economic and Social Inclusion Plan 2025-2030.
“This plan was built by New Brunswickers, for New Brunswickers, and I am incredibly proud to be able to share it today,” said Social Development Minister Cindy Miles, who is also minister responsible for the corporation. “This plan serves as a road map to a New Brunswick where every person can build a good life, where they have equitable access to services and benefits provided with compassion and dignity, and where they have a chance to flourish in their culture and community.”
The plan includes 16 priority actions divided into three pillars:
• Basic needs and well-being: includes actions addressing improvements to food security, transportation services, child care, housing, health and awareness of prescription drug coverage.
• Income security: includes actions to connect people to benefits, improve financial literacy, improve working conditions for workers with a low income, recognize the challenges faced by people living with disabilities, review asset exemption thresholds, and create an advisory committee on income security.
• Strengthening people-focused service delivery: includes actions to reduce barriers and better connect, review sensitization training opportunities, expand support for youth who have reached the age of leaving the care of the minister, and increase support for the non-profit sector.
The objective of the plan is to reduce income poverty by at least 50 per cent by 2030, in line with the objectives of Opportunity for All, Canada’s first poverty reduction strategy, and those of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainability of the United Nations.
The Community Inclusion Networks, which were integrated into their respective regional service commissions in 2023, will continue to work with local partners to develop regional plans for poverty reduction and economic and social inclusion.
“Significant strides were made over the past 15 years, but the current renewal’s timing is unique”, said Jean Allain, the corporation’s board chair. “Feedback received made it very clear that life in New Brunswick has grown increasingly difficult, emphasizing the need for stronger collaboration, now more than ever, between the four sectors.”
Allain also mentioned the importance of remaining aware of the different realities that exist between rural and urban regions.
The plan invites New Brunswickers from all walks of life – individuals, businesses, non-profits and government representatives – to actively participate in achieving the common goal of helping reduce poverty and its impacts by taking a pledge.
Some highlights of Overcoming Poverty Together from the past 15 years include:
- Healthy Smiles, Clear Vision program
- more than 675 community projects related to transportation, food security, mental health and other priorities
- social assistance reforms
- minimum wage increases
- ew Brunswick Drug Plan
- reation of the Community Inclusion Networks
- promotion of filing income tax returns
- provincial transportation strategy
- helping develop 211 NB, a one-stop-shop for services and information
- supporting and promoting social enterprise
The Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation received 42,000 comments from nearly 5,000 participants during a public engagement process that took place across the province in early 2024. The feedback received from participants revealed the struggles they were facing, as 10.9 per cent of the population was experiencing poverty. This represents about 85,000 New Brunswickers based on the latest data, from 2022.
“It is the most comprehensive engagement process we’ve undertaken thus far,” said Allain. “From January to May 2024, 47 community dialogues, 49 focus groups, eight sectorial dialogues, a virtual dialogue, as well as several youth forums, mini-dialogues and information sessions took place across the province. New Brunswickers also provided feedback through the online questionnaire and the submission of general and thematic briefs.”
The corporation is committed to measuring and reporting progress on the 16 priority actions, as well as several other metrics, throughout the five-year plan as data becomes available.
“We hope that this plan will further call attention to this willingness to collaborate and to help one another with the goal of extending a hand to those who need it most,” said Allain.
The plan, which is available online, takes effect immediately.
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