The 2012 federal budget, released on Thursday, confirms the ongoing erosion of federal funding for affordable housing. Not only is there no new money on offer, but the budget sets out a total of $131 million in cuts to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the federal government’s national housing agency, over the next three years […]
Archives for March 2012
Ontario Budget 2012 continues erosion of affordable housing investments
Ontario Budget 2012 continues the erosion of affordable housing investments at a time when the housing needs of households who are precariously housed remain deep and persistent. The budget sets out yet another annual cut to the operating budget of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the fourth cut in the last four years. […]
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Ontario Budget 2012: Duncan chooses path that hurts the poorest Ontarians
In the lead up to the Ontario budget, the Wellesley Institute asked whether Minister Duncan would choose a road of fiscal prudence, or whether he would adopt the austerity agenda of his opponents. Today he chose the austerity agenda. In his speech today, Minister Duncan said that we all have to play our part to […]
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Freezing welfare: The wrong decision at the wrong time
Yesterday, in advance of the Ontario 2012 Budget, Premier McGuinty announced that social assistance rates will be frozen for a year and that the scheduled $200 increase in the Ontario Child Benefit will be reduced to $100, with the remaining $100 being delayed until July 2014. These choices, which the Premier claims are not aimed […]
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Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Equity
Chronic disease prevention and management is a key health priority for the Ontario government, as evidenced by a chronic disease framework and disease-specific strategies. And as the government looks to reign in health spending, we can expect an even greater focus on health promotion initiatives that reduce health care costs. A new report released yesterday […]
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Wellesley Institute and York U looking for research participants for St. James Town study of immigrant women’s pathways to health care services
Wellesley Institute and York University’s Faculty of Health are partnering in a study of the health care needs (physical and emotional) of immigrant women living in low-income neighbourhoods and the pathways they pursue for accessing formal and informal health care services. The goal of the study is to gain in-depth information on the pathways to accessing health […]
What to look for in the Ontario 2012 budget: Improving housing affordability
Although a good, affordable home is one of the most important social determinants of health and investing in housing not only takes pressure off of the health care system but is good for the economy, federal and provincial housing funding continues to be insufficient to meet the province’s need for new affordable housing and the […]
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Health care for the uninsured: why it’s important and next steps
Recently, the Wellesley Institute participated in the Seeking Solutions Symposium, a conference that addressed access to health care for people living in Canada without health insurance. Even though we in Canada like to think that everyone has access to free health care, this is not the case. The fact is, people who lack documentation do […]
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Review of Social Assistance in Ontario: Health & Health Equity Overview
In 2010, the province of Ontario established the Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario, led by Commissioners Francis Lankin and Munir A. Sheikh. The Commission’s Terms of Reference are to: Establish an appropriate benefit structure that reduces barriers and supports people’s transition into, and attachment within, the labour market. Place reasonable expectations on, and provide […]
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Building a health-enabling social assistance system: Our latest submission to the Commission for the Review of Social Assistance
Over the last year, the Wellesley Institute has been working with community and health sector partners to provide expert advice on how to build a health-enabling social assistance system to inform the work of the Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario. On Friday, we made our second formal submission to the Commission: […]