VANCOUVER – New Democrat MLA for Vancouver-Fraserview George Chow is welcoming $50,000 in provincial grant funding to help local government boost supports for vulnerable and low-income people in Vancouver. The grant funding will enable the City of Vancouver to establish a pilot project that will investigate reduced fare transit for low-income residents.

“For far too long, the previous government refused to take the concerns of people experiencing poverty seriously and ignored their calls for better supports,” said MLA Chow. “Whether it’s for travelling to school or work, picking up groceries or visiting a loved one, public transit should be financially accessible to everyone. By partnering with the City of Vancouver, our government is supporting local initiatives to reduce poverty and working to make a difference in people’s daily lives.”

MLA Chow says the pilot will seek to design, test, evaluate and make recommendations for a reduced and/or free transit program in Vancouver and prioritize Indigenous and racialized residents.

The local investment is part of the Poverty Reduction Planning and Action Program which will empower 54 local governments across the province, through 29 projects, to develop poverty reduction plans that directly support people in their communities.

The 29 projects are receiving a total of $1.4 million, from a $5 million provincial grant to the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM), with individual project funding ranging from $16,000 to $150,000. The grant is part of the New Democrat government’s commitment to partner with local governments and communities in poverty reduction initiatives, as part of TogetherBC, B.C.’s first poverty reduction strategy.

Learn More: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020SDPR0032-000990