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Affordable Housing and Homelessness
Adequate, affordable housing is a key social determinant of health. Healthy and inclusive neighbourhoods reduce health disparities and create sustainable environments for all citizens.Read More -
Healthcare Reform
Equity-focused health reform requires a commitment to understanding and addressing the scale of health disparities and the underlying social determinants of health.Read More -
Immigrant Health
Policy action empowers communities to shape and navigate their own health futures and wellbeing. The St. James Town Initiative is our key demonstration project.Read More -
Social Innovation
A vibrant and sustainable third sector contributes to reducing the adverse impact of the social determinants of health.Read More -
Research
Our research is grounded in what matters to the communities we serve. We support policy relevant research with communities, using a continuum of inclusive and participatory methods.Read More
About Us
The Wellesley Institute is a Toronto-based non-profit and non-partisan research and policy institute. Our focus is on developing research and community-based policy solutions to the problems of urban health and health disparities. We are committed to advancing the health of urban populations. Our goal is to shift the social gradient of health, and to reduce the scale and severity of disparities. We address the social determinants of health to improve the health and health opportunities of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. Learn more about our work
Wellesley News
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Hundreds of US cities have rules to ensure inclusive, healthy communities: Why not here???
Hundreds of US cities, and a number of US states, have inclusionary housing planning policies that ensure that a fixed percentage of all new homes are affordable to low and moderate-income households. It’s no surprise that private developers in Toronto are upset at the thought that such a sensible idea would be imported to our city and province (“Developers balk at affordable-unit idea”, Toronto Star, March 10). [...]
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Ontario Throne Speech: Non-profits are 'unsung heroes' of provincial economy
The new session of the Ontario Legislature was launched earlier this afternoon with the traditional Speech from the Throne which included a strong expression of support for the tens of thousands of non-profit groups that make a vital contribution to health, housing, social services, culture, recreation, faith and many other essential components of our community. [...]
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Join Michael Shapcott on April 7 in Toronto at a PAAC speakers' series event
Michael Shapcott, the Wellesley Institute's Director of Affordable Housing and Social Innovation, will join Ontario Minister of Transportation Kathleen Wynne and Toronto Star social policy report Laurie Monsebraaten for a breakfast meeting: "What do effective organizations do to influence the political process?" presented by the Public Affairs Association of Canada. Event Details [...]
Recent Blog Posts
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Overall, health of Britons is increasing, but not everyone is benefitting
Posted by: Michael ShapcottThe UK Audit Commission has released a new 10-year review of health inequalities that begins with these words: “The health of people in England has improved over the past ten years. Life expectancy has increased, infant mortality has fallen. Government targets to cut death from heart disease and stroke by 2010 have already been met. But if the big picture is positive, stark problems remain. Inequalities in the health of people from certain areas and social backgrounds has stubbornly resisted improvement, and has even increased in some cases.” [...]
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Hundreds of US cities have rules to ensure inclusive, healthy communities: Why not here???
Posted by: Michael ShapcottHundreds of US cities, and a number of US states, have inclusionary housing planning policies that ensure that a fixed percentage of all new homes are affordable to low and moderate-income households. It’s no surprise that private developers in Toronto are upset at the thought that such a sensible idea would be imported to our city and province (“Developers balk at affordable-unit idea”, Toronto Star, March 10). [...]
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Don’t Forget Equity in Health Funding Reform
Posted by: Bob GardnerWe need to ensure that equity is built into the provincial government’s plans to restructure the way funding is allocated to hospitals (see Ontario proposes radical overhaul of hospital funding by Karen Howlett in March 7 Globe and Mail). Adjusting to reflect population health needs is a significant advance over simply adjusting historical budgets or allocating money in terms of numbers of procedures performed. [...]
Housing E-map
New & Notable
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Two new reports explore the fragility and resilience of youth
Youth, as the saying goes, is supposed to be the best time in your life. But for many youth in Toronto, this period in their lives is marked by vulnerability, instability and marginalization. Yet, in spite of their hardships and a sometimes confusing and complicated array of services, many youth are able to demonstrate remarkable resilience in their coping strategies and identities. [...]
