The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is advancing work on a new 10-year Poverty Reduction and Prevention Strategy, focused on practical, forward-looking solutions to help reduce poverty rates to the lowest in Canada by 2036.

To provide leadership informed by extensive collaboration, a ministerial committee has been created that includes the Minister of Social Supports and Well-Being and Minister of Housing, as Chair; the Minister of Health and Community Services; Minister for Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation and the Minister of Labrador Affairs; the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development; the Minister of Jobs, Growth and Rural Development; the Minister of Finance and Minister of Seniors; and the Minister of Justice and Public Safety.

The Healthy Communities branch, a new branch in the Department of Social Supports and Well-Being, will bring focus to this important work. This branch is dedicated to poverty reduction, prevention and the linkages between poverty, well-being and the social determinants of health.

Public and stakeholder engagement will be an important part of strategy development. Over the coming months, the Provincial Government will work with community groups, Indigenous governments and organizations, service providers and residents through focus groups, surveys, lived and living experience sessions and regional symposiums.

The Provincial Government is committed to ensuring that residents in all regions have accessible ways to participate. Initial engagement activities are underway in the western region, with additional regions to follow in the coming weeks. As new opportunities for engagement arise, updates will be shared through government channels, social media, and online tools.

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“Reducing poverty in Newfoundland and Labrador requires strong partnerships, meaningful conversations, and practical actions that reflect the realities of people and communities across our province. Our government’s approach will help ensure we develop a strategy that is rooted in lived experience, aligned with community needs, and focused on long-term, sustainable change, for all of us.”
Honourable Joedy Wall
Minister of Social Supports and Well-Being
Minister of Housing

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