In the absence of federal leadership, local communities have decided that something must be done. In communities, poverty transforms from a philosophical conversation into a disturbing reality with long term detrimental impacts on the health of adults and life prospects for children. Within the Niagara region, efforts to address poverty were initiated in 2006 and the nature of those efforts subsequently informed by a report commissioned by Niagara Region entitled Legacy of Poverty? Addressing Cycles of Poverty and the Impact on Child Health in Niagara Region

Action was built on the report's four recommendations: address poverty through advocacy; provide appropriate and flexible supports which address the broader determinants of health for adults living in poverty; mitigate the negative effects of low-income on children and youth through programs and services, and; monitor progress. Niagara‟s approach to poverty reduction included local creative adaptation around the imperative to increase prosperity for people living in neighbourhoods in need of attention. This vision was the first step toward building a new legacy for children living in poverty.

The local landscape has shifted greatly since 2006 and the Niagara community has galvanized its commitment to reducing poverty in several ways. This report outlines only part of the local response to poverty, namely the strategies and activities associated with the Niagara Region Prosperity Initiative. This report is organized around the four recommendations from the Legacy of Poverty report, which remain pillars for local action. In this report, each of them have been updated with the addition of relevant data and information about implementation activities and advice from key stakeholders about next steps.