A strategy on how Dundee fights its way out of poverty will be discussed as a year-long investigation nears its end.
The culmination of the Fairness Commission’s discussion about how to help Dundonians saw members finalise their recommendations last night.
The multi-agency group was forced to extend its programme of meetings due to the scale of the city’s problem and the number of issues to be tackled.
Looking into inequalities facing the city’s disadvantaged people, the commission covered a number of areas, including housing, education, health and employment.
Convener Jimmy Black, also a Dundee City councillor, said “too many people are still falling through the cracks” of the welfare system and more needs to be done to reach people at their time and place of need.
Mr Black said he was keen to get advice workers out to Dundee’s disadvantaged communities, to speak to people in community centres.
He said: “If we put the services in the heart of the communities people will use them more.”
The convener added that members of the commission had “learned a lot from each other”.
He added: “We’ve heard a lot of sad stories and we’ve got a wee bit angry that some people haven’t got the help they need.
“There are many ways that people can fall through the cracks.
“The direct contact with these people has given us an emotional response that I don’t think we had before.”
Members also discussed a number of priority issues including the impact of rising rents in the private rented sector.
They also considered the crucial importance of the Living Wage, the impact of zero hours contracts and other examples of poor terms and conditions.
A need for flexible and affordable childcare was also raised, as was the stigma of unemployment, including the need to respect people working in frontline support agencies.
The Fairness Commission will meet once more next month before its final report is published in June.