Manitoba Government Launches New Five-Year Poverty Reduction Strategy

Press Release

January 13, 2026

The Manitoba government is launching a renewed five-year poverty reduction strategy grounded in the voices of Manitobans with lived experience and supported by concrete objectives to reduce poverty provincewide, Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine and Housing, Addictions and Homelessness Minister Bernadette Smith announced today.

“This strategy is shaped by the lived experiences of Manitobans across the province who shared their stories with us,” said Fontaine. “Their perspectives are at the heart of this strategy, which reflects a collective vision for a more equitable and compassionate One Manitoba where everyone can live with hope, dignity and a true sense of belonging.”

The Manitoba government developed Pathways Forward: Manitoba’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, with input from more than 3,000 Manitobans, including community organizations, advocates, Indigenous Peoples, businesses and individuals.

The strategy outlines a co-ordinated approach to reducing poverty focused on three groups at vulnerable transition points in life:

• babies and children ages 0 to 5, including the prenatal period,
• youth exiting the child welfare system, and
• seniors.

Partnerships with community organizations, businesses and service providers will be prioritized.

“Grassroots organizations play a critical role in helping Manitobans navigate systems and access the supports they need,” said Smith. “By establishing a shared vision grounded in community-led solutions, this strategy will help build a Manitoba where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.”

The ministers noted the strategy, subtitled ‘Heart Medicine for Communities,’ acknowledges Indigenous Peoples in Manitoba face unique challenges rooted in historical injustices, systemic discrimination and cultural disparities. It prioritizes cultural preservation and Indigenous-led approaches in a spirit of collaboration and reconciliation.

The Manitoba government has also taken several concrete steps to help lift Manitobans out of poverty, including:

• increasing earning exemptions for Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) recipients from $200 to $500 of net monthly earnings, plus 30 per cent of additional net monthly earnings;
• implementing a provincewide universal school nutrition program ensuring that every public-school student has access to nutritious meals and snacks;
• doubling Manitoba’s Healthy Baby Prenatal Benefit, making it the highest in Canada;
• indexing Rent Assist and Manitoba Supports for Persons with Disabilities (MSPD) basic needs benefits to keep pace with inflation and rising housing costs;
• investing in social and affordable housing, re-opening closed units, supported non-profit providers, and expanding the renters affordability tax credit to $625 in 2026;
• providing all residents with a Manitoba Health Card access to free birth control;
• exempting the new Canada Disability Benefit from income calculations for EIA and MSPD recipients;
• changing the EIA adult education policy to ensure young adults under 30 who receive EIA and who do not have a high school diploma can pursue adult education to build skills and improve long-term job prospects, even if education is not the fastest route to employment; and
• creating a new, independent seniors advocate, who will represent and advocate on behalf of seniors in Manitoba.

Pathways Forward: Manitoba’s Poverty Reduction Strategy aligns with and complements other government strategies that promote social inclusion, including Manitoba’s Economic Development Strategy, the Mino’Ayaawag Ikwewag Strategy and Your Way Home: Manitoba’s Strategy to End Chronic Homelessness.

Under the Poverty Reduction Strategy Act, the Manitoba government is required to maintain a long-term strategy and renew it every five years. The strategy must be supported by measurable indicators.

To read the full strategy, visit https://gov.mb.ca/povertyreduction/.

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For more information:

• Public information, contact Manitoba Government Inquiry: mgi@gov.mb.ca or 1-866-626-4862 or 204-945-3744.
• Media requests for general information, contact Communications and Engagement: newsroom@gov.mb.ca.
• Media requests for ministerial comment, contact Cabinet Communications: cabcom@manitoba.ca.

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