CSWBP Poverty and Income Action Table Working to Make Changes

The Community Safety and Well-Being Planning (CSWBP) Action Table to address poverty and income disparities, led by the Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force, has been implementing solutions to address income challenges in our communities.

The CSWBP identified poverty and income as a priority for the communities of Bruce and Grey based on community feedback and local data. Community members provided feedback that they are concerned about their ability to pay bills, meet basic needs, and access financial support. Data shows that median household incomes in our region are lower than Ontario and approximately 20% of children are living in poverty.

With those concerns top of mind, the Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force has launched many programs to support community members with income stability.  An example of this is the Bruce Grey Community Volunteer Network that supports the Volunteer Income Tax Program. In 2022 the program helped bring back over $9,000,000 to 3,050 individuals across three counties through income benefits, tax credits and refunds. 

The Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force is also engaging with people with lived experience and has focused on increasing awareness of income disparity, food security, and hunger in order to reduce stigma, advocate for policy change, and enhance collective impact.

To learn more please visit: Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force – Our voice is power.

What is the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan (CSWBP) Grey-Bruce?  

Community Safety and Well Being Planning helps organizations improve the things that keep us healthy, happy, and safe. Together, we use research to create solutions focused on education, health care, food, housing, income, crime, and belonging. It is important that we create a welcoming community where problems are solved before they happen and where different professionals and community members come together to help people now and in the future. 

The ongoing work of CSWBP is supported by an advisory committee representing over 74 partners from across Bruce and Grey who are working together to address crime prevention by investing in social development, prevention, and risk interventions. This upstream preventative model focuses on creating protective factors that make individuals less vulnerable to crime and victimization.