Canada’s Senate has unanimously adopted a comprehensive, 283-page report that calls on the federal government to implement a national housing plan, poverty reduction strategy and other measures on income, health, education and training. Under the rules of Parliament, the federal government has until September 20 to formally respond. In From the Margins sets out 74 practical recommendations from housing and homelessness to […]
Archives for May 2010
Response to Canadian Home Builders Association Report
In 2008, the Canadian Home Builders Association commissioned Altus Clayton to write a report that is very critical of Inclusionary Housing. This report has been used as the basis for arguments that municipalities should not use IH policies to try to increase the supply of affordable housing. The Wellesley Institute commissioned David Rusk, a leading […]
Continue ReadingResponse to Canadian Home Builders Association Report
'Right to housing' legal challenge launched today
Everyone in Canada has the right to a home – and the federal government has a responsibility to realize that right. That’s the basis of a legal challenge launched today by a coalition of housing and legal advocates. The Wellesley Institute is providing policy support to the new coalition, including expert evidence on funding and legislative decisions by […]
Continue Reading'Right to housing' legal challenge launched today
A Diagnosis for Equity: An Initial Analysis of South Asian Health Inequities in Ontario
South Asian communities experience vast health inequities resulting in disproportionately poor health outcomes when compared with non-racialized and other Ontarian groups. The range and impact of these health inequities is examined in the report, A Diagnosis for Equity: An Initial Analysis of South Asian Health Inequities in Ontario by Council of Agencies Serving South Asians […]
Health Equity Into Action Through Good Planning: Health Equity Impact Assessment
I recently presented a workshop to senior staff at a Toronto academic hospital on Health Equity Impact Assessment. We need good planning to operationalize equity within hospitals, community health centres and other service providers and HEIA is an effective planning tool. The discussion was incredibly rich and working through the steps of HEIA sparked off […]
Continue ReadingHealth Equity Into Action Through Good Planning: Health Equity Impact Assessment
‘Big Society Bank’, more co-ops and public service: UK govt sets out new policies for social sector
Britain’s new coalition government has announced plans to create a ‘Big Society Bank’ using funds from dormant bank accounts to help finance neighbourhood groups, charities, social enterprises and other non-governmental groups. Building The Big Society – a new policy document released on Tuesday from the Conservative – Liberal Democrat government – sets out five key […]
First UforChange grads celebrate their successes with family, friends, community
The first graduating class of UforChange – almost 50 dynamic youth from Toronto’s St James Town neighbourhood – got their certificates and celebrated their success in a day-long showcase on Sunday, May 16, at the jam-packed Parliament Street studio space. They were cheered on by proud parents, sisters and brothers, friends and many others from […]
Continue ReadingFirst UforChange grads celebrate their successes with family, friends, community
Youth graduates of UforChange get cheers from enthusiastic audience
About 200 enthusiastic fans crowded into the Isabel Bader Theatre on May 15 for the VivaCity talent showcase. The showcase featured the talents of the almost 50 youth who have graduated as the first cohort of UforChange, an arts-based youth training and employment initiative of the Wellesley Institute and our partners. The play included amazing […]
Continue ReadingYouth graduates of UforChange get cheers from enthusiastic audience
‘Cutting through the fog’ aims to make sense of poverty measures
“If we don’t make sense of poverty measures, we will limit our ability as a society to make good decisions about poverty and related issues.” That’s the conclusion of a powerful new paper from the Metcalfe Foundation called Cutting through the fog. The paper, written by social policy analyst John Stapleton and research consultant Richard Shillington, […]
Continue Reading‘Cutting through the fog’ aims to make sense of poverty measures
Comprehensive Community Initiatives: Lessons Learned, Potential and Opportunities Moving Forward
Do comprehensive, collaborative place-based initiatives to reduce poverty “work”? This was the question posed by the Tamarack Institute, Vibrant Communities Canada, and The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation at a very productive Strategic Dialogue held May 10-11, 2010. The Wellesley Institute was commissioned to review research and experience in this field. Our backgrounder Comprehensive Community Initiatives: […]