The devitalization of local communities constitutes the collective face of poverty. Based on three approaches that have been the object of either research or evaluation (Quebec’s Rural Policy, a method used to characterize local communities, and Healthy Cities and Towns), the discussion focuses on several challenges to revitalization and the fight against collective poverty, taking into account recent transformations in the context shaping rural development since 2014. These challenges are: professional support for the development of communities, maintaining collaboration mechanisms and the relevance of strong public policies to support local development.