Poverty Task Force to Deliver Final Report to City Council Monday
After a year of studying poverty and income inequality, the North Whatcom Poverty Task Force will deliver their recommendations to the Ferndale City Council at their next council meeting, Monday, March 2nd at 6pm in the City Annex (5964 Second Avenue).
The North Whatcom Poverty Task Force was created by the Ferndale City Council in February of last year to examine the impacts of poverty and income inequality. Over the last year, the group met with representatives from social services, businesses, law enforcement, real estate, employment specialists and those who had experienced poverty firsthand.
“I’m really proud of the work the Poverty Task Force has done over the last year,” said Councilmember Kate Bishop who spearheaded the creation of the task force. “Ferndale is becoming a leader when it comes to tackling the complex problems facing our most vulnerable residents. This is about smart planning and making sure those who call Ferndale home have access to the resources they need to remain a part of our community.”
The final report details over forty different recommendations that the City of Ferndale can enact in the short- and long-term covering topics such as housing, transportation, hunger, youth in crisis and homelessness. The central recommendation of the report is an affordable housing levy to be placed on the ballot for November 2020. This recommendation will be discussed at the following council meeting on March 16th.
The complete report is available online at https://www.cityofferndale.org/your-government/boards-and-commissions/north-whatcom-poverty-task-force/