The Healthy Communities Branch provides leadership and coordination to advance poverty reduction and improve community well‑being across Newfoundland and Labrador. The branch brings together the Poverty Reduction Strategy Division and the developing Community Well‑Being Division to support integrated, preventive, and community‑informed approaches that address the social determinants of health and support vulnerable populations.

The branch leads the development, implementation, and monitoring of government’s poverty reduction and prevention efforts, working across departments and with community, non‑profit, Indigenous, and private sector partners. This includes supporting policies, programs, and initiatives that improve income security, access to services, social inclusion, and overall quality of life.

Through its new community well‑being mandate, the branch will support cross‑sector approaches that respond to regional priorities and lived experience. Together, the divisions within the Healthy Communities Branch work to reduce fragmentation, promote collaboration, and support measurable improvements in population well‑being, with a focus on equity, prevention, and long‑term social outcomes.