File photo by Alec Ross, BlackburnNews.comFile photo by Alec Ross, BlackburnNews.com
London

Two Added To Poverty Advisory Panel

Mayor Matt Brown is adding two people to London's advisory panel on poverty.

The new members are Vanessa Ambtman-Smith and Dharshi Lacey.

Ambtman-Smith is the Aboriginal Health Lead with the South West Local Health Integration (LHIN) and Lacey is the Diversity Program Manger and the Pillar Nonprofit Network.

Statistics show over 17% of people in London and Middlesex are living in poverty, compared to the provincial average of 15%.

Roughly 13% of those in the region rely on social assistance, a number that has increased by almost 10,000 people in the last nine years. Of those 10,000, 1,000 are children.

Mayor Brown says the two newly appointed members bring skill sets that will help the city work towards lifting children, youth and families out of poverty.

The goal of the advisory committee is to figure out how to remove barries for those struggling and combat the issues related to poverty in the city.

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