Saint John continues to have some of the highest poverty rates in Canada, with more than 14 hundred poor. Wendy MacDermott with Vibrant Communities says 20 per cent of Saint Johner’s a poor, compared to the national average of 15 per cent. But there is hope. MacDermott says they can beat poverty by placing more resources in communities with the highest risk.
The Saint John police commission is helping out with the appointment of Mary-Eileen Flanagan to a Leadership Rountable that will help find solutions to poverty. MacDermott says their goal is to reduce poverty rates to the national average by vititalizing neighbourhoods, improving the city’s housing strategy, helping single parents and encouraging more people to look for work.
