Poverty Taskforce sets out to help those on low income

Council legal art adviser Sharon Williams and volunteer assistant Michael Slade (standing, right) discuss youth issues with Taskforce co-ordinator George Clark and Mark Solomon, Ngai Tahu.

A six-member Poverty Taskforce, set up recently by Christchurch City Council, has been working through the holiday period.

Headed by Garry Moore, the taskforce is a high-powered group that has been asked by the Council to identify and advocate for solutions to poverty in the city by March next year.

Already the members — the mayor; Paul Dalziel, Professor of Economics at Canterbury University; Carole Anderton, chairwoman of the City Council Community Services Committee; Mark Solomon, Ngai Tahu; Dr Sue Bagshaw, and Salvation Army commander Major Campbell Roberts — have divided the workload.

Over the Christmas holiday period two research projects have been started, focussing on issues around income and the social impact of poverty. Both will be run in conjunction with the university.

A second project is to plan a series of community workshops and a third will address the barriers that people with low incomes face and offer possible solutions.

A report to the taskforce says that the Council already provides many services and resources for its citizens with needs linked to limited or low-incomes. It says that community funding and assistance currently totals $2.6 million a year.

Under employment services, the Council, through the Canterbury Development Corporation, spends more than $1.7M a year.

This figure breaks down to $1.3M for employment schemes, $565,588 for youth employment and $193,500 for employment services.

Also, the Council helps low-income residents through housing schemes. It is estimated that at least 80 per cent of all Council housing involvement relates to low-income residents or people with hardship.

The Council will spend about $7.5M on housing this financial year, although the revenue received is expected to be more than $9M. All excess revenue is reinvested back into housing.

The report says that the Council will spend about $4.4M this financial year targeted at the prevention of poverty and hardship. This includes funds for housing reinvestment, community development and employment services.

In addition, the Council provides universal services, available to all citizens, which include libraries, parks, leisure services and the art gallery. These will cost the Council more than $49.5M this financial year. The total Council response to poverty and hardship is difficult to quantify but a full analysis will be undertaken in the first quarter of the year.

For more information contact George Clark, Taskforce coordinator, 9418933.