In April of 2019, the centre had secured a three-year contract with the Law Foundation of BC to start a poverty law advocacy program for the Mt. Waddington region. The program focuses on reducing the barriers people may face when accessing services for residential tenancy and income assistance through federal or provincial programs.

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The program aims to ensure that the rights of low-income individuals are met when they are looking to access government benefits, either federally or provincially. Offering clients with information and advice on provincial income assistance programs and what steps a person can take if they are facing barriers to income assistance.
 

The advocate noted that he is ready to assist those who may have been, for example, declined for any kind of income assistance or had recently received an eviction notice from their landlord. In a broad sense, the advocate assists tenants who are looking to resolve any issues they may have with the landlord either through negotiation or dispute resolution.

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The centre’s advocate also offers information to the public around a tenant’s rights, income assistance and its supplements and benefits, disability benefits, the Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security, and the Guaranteed Income Supplement. The poverty law advocate, unfortunately, is unable to assist those who may be experiencing family law issues.
 

A 2005 report called “Poverty Law Needs Assessment and Gap/Overlap Analysis” was produced by the Law Foundation of British Columbia and found that community advocacy groups on the north island were desperately understaffed, which often resulted in burn out.

The report also found that the most common issues facing those experiencing poverty on the north island often related to B.C. income assistance, employment and benefits, housing, debt and collection, Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security, and foreclosures.