I am very proud of the work done by everyone involved in creating the Calgary Poverty Reduction Strategy. Over the past year, Cathy Williams and Steve Allan stewarded a process that involved many Calgarians to create a plan that could end poverty in our city. It's a plan that is very needed, and one that can work. Here is the op-ed that Steve and Cathy published earlier this week that illustrates the strategy and how we can have "enough for all". - Mayor Naheed Nenshi

For a year we have been talking to people in Calgary about poverty. Many think we dealt with the issue when the 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness was launched five years ago. While that is a great initiative, homelessness is the tip of an iceberg. Poverty is its underpinning, and costs Calgarians greatly in terms of human and financial capital. Now that the Calgary Poverty Reduction Initiative's (CPRI) strategy has been unanimously passed by City Council and the United Way Board, we want to share the dream of a more connected and supportive city, which we will all realize through working together over the next several years.

The CPRI strategy is based on a principle of challenging the way we view people living in poverty. We're good at charitable giving, and this is to be lauded. But if charity worked, we would see the number of people needing assistance going down. Unfortunately, we are not making progress. In addition, all levels of government spend substantial amounts of money on poverty-related issues (social assistance, education, training, health