Homeless and formerly homeless people, housing and homeless advocates, housing experts and others gathered for a day-long workshop in downtown Halifax on Thursday to help prepare a Community Blueprint on Housing. I was delighted to be invited to lead the session, especially since I have been working with a community reference group on the release […]
Margaret's House in Dartmouth – sadly, business is booming
Many visitors to Halifax don’t bother to hop across the harbour to Dartmouth (the “poor sister” to Halifax). Fewer still wander up the hill from the ferry terminal in Dartmouth to a lovely, wooden heritage building. The sign outside reads “Margaret’s House”. Inside, business is booming – which is bad news for the staff and […]
Continue ReadingMargaret's House in Dartmouth – sadly, business is booming
Taking action on homelessness
It’s a short, three-block walk from the downtown Toronto studios of CBC Radio to the St. Patrick subway station (at King and University). After being a guest on CBC’s Metro Morning early on Friday, I made the stroll and counted six homeless people on grates and benches. Even after three decades as a housing and […]
Blame the dinosaurs…
By any conventional measures, the Alberta economy is on fire. The unemployment rate is the lowest in Canada, and the annual increase in gross domestic product is the highest. Taxes are the lowest in the country. A rising tide lifts all boats. So, why is it that the affordable housing crisis and homelessness is so […]
500 homeless dead – and counting!
Tuesday, November 14, 2006, marked a grim anniversary. The Homeless Memorial at the Church of the Holy Trinity in downtown Toronto added its 500th name at the regular monthly service yesterday. That’s 500 women, men and children – our mothers, our fathers, our sisters, our brothers, our sons, our daughters – who have died on […]
Provincial Pre-Budget Submission on Housing and Homelessness
The costs of Ontario’s affordable housing crisis and homelessness disaster to individuals, communities and government are enormous, yet Ontario’s housing spending has been dropping sharply since 2000 and is currently at 14 cents per person per day. The Wellesley Institute, in our provincial pre-budget submission on housing and homelessness, is calling on the Ontario government […]
Continue ReadingProvincial Pre-Budget Submission on Housing and Homelessness
Commons' finance committee calls for housing, homelessness action
Earlierthis week, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance released its recommendations after pre-budget consultations across Canada. I was invited to appear in front of the committee earlier in the fall as an expert witness on housing and homelessness on behalf of the Wellesley Institute.
Continue ReadingCommons' finance committee calls for housing, homelessness action
Renter households face supply, affordability squeeze
Higher rents and fewer vacant units ” Canada’s nation-wide affordable housing squeeze is continuing to tighten for the country’s four million renter households. That’s the news today as Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation released its latest rental market numbers. Detailed numbers will be released for provinces and metropolitan areas and are available from Canada Mortgage […]
Continue ReadingRenter households face supply, affordability squeeze
France set to declare right to housing
France is set to declare housing as a fundamental right following a high-profile protest in downtown Paris by homeless people and housing advocates. The right to housinghas been recognized in international law for decades, and is incorporated in countless international covenents, treaties, declarations and other legal instruments. However, many countriessign the international documents then fail […]
2007 – year of housing for all?????
It’s a new year, and Canada has a new federal housing and homelessness minister. What would be the best new year’s resolution for the Hon. Monte Solberg, as he settles into his new office? In recent years, growing homelessness and housing insecurity, along with effective political advocacy, has prompted politicians to create a patchwork of […]