The Right to a Good Life for All:
Our Blueprint for Justice

We have entered a new era when it comes to tackling poverty and inequality in this province, one defined by progress and impact. The BC Poverty Reduction Coalition, and many dedicated allies, fought hard for the introduction of Together BC: British Columbia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy which finally became a reality in 2018. However, only incremental progress has been made over the last two years and the COVID-19 pandemic has magnified existing inequities. The depth and breadth of the durable policy and investments we must make to truly reduce poverty and inequality in B.C. have been revealed.

The pandemic has also revealed our incredible capacity for compassion; we do indeed care deeply about our neighbours, our families, and community members. Whether it is parents working multiple jobs to barely put food on their table for their children, or a low-income senior who has to access the food bank to survive, British Columbians expect action that will ensure the wellbeing and thriving of all in this province. Public support to end the suffering of those living in poverty is widespread. Lives hang in the balance. We have no time to lose.

Our Blueprint for Justice recommendations build on a promising policy foundation that has begun to have an impact since 2018; our blueprint charts a bold vision and shows the concrete action we need to truly make sure nobody is left behind during the pandemic, and beyond it.

Today, 557,000 people remain below the poverty line in B.C., with 7655 people counted as homeless. Thousands continue to work precariously, far below the poverty line. Those who live on income and disability rates, who are left below the poverty line, are often pressed into dangerous survival work in grey economies. A poisoned opioid drug supply kills upwards of 175 people a month in B.C. Ongoing renovictions and evictions to raise rents as well as a lack of affordable rental and non-profit housing, leave thousands of British Columbians with unstable and inadequate housing. The rise of precarious work and the exclusion of targeted communities from our employment legislation and heath care system continue to cement racial and income inequality. The work that lies ahead of us is clear.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, women’s poverty and gender inequality are rapidly on the rise. As climate change threatens our communities and livelihoods, we must take bold action to create a green economy and justly transition workers and communities to the sustainable economy we know we need. We must prioritize Indigenous sovereignty over B.C.’s land, air, and water. We must call for a world that no longer remains silently complicit with anti-Black racism and all forms of racism in our institutions and communities; racism that compounds poverty for all racialized communities.

The BCPRC Blueprint for Justice is based on four principles that shape our recommendations to Government: Economic Security, Universal Basic Services, Equity, and Climate Justice. A foundation has been laid and progress has been made, but we have only just begun. We have much more to accomplish to ensure that every person in B.C. attains a dignified, decent, and just life.