By: Michael Shapcott
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). Read the rest of this entry »
By: Michael Shapcott 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. Read the rest of this entry »
By: Michael Shapcott 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.
By: Michael Shapcott Today’s federal budget confirms the housing promises made last year (about $2 billion in new spending, mostly for new homes and repairs to existing housing), but adds nothing new (see page 236 of the main budget document). Read the rest of this entry »
By: Bob Gardner Tom Kent (Cure it, or lose it, bit by bit, March 1) has ½ of an excellent prescription for health reform. He rightly emphasizes the need for national coordinated leadership and for up-stream investment in health promotion and addressing the poverty, exclusion and other social factors that underlie health inequalities. He alludes to Tommy Douglas’ call for a Second Stage of Medicare with dental, pharmacare, prevention and community-based care and support that would keep people healthy. (see the Bob Gardner’s letter as published in the Globe and Mail on March 2) Read the rest of this entry »
By: Michael Shapcott Inclusionary housing / inclusionary planning is a simple and practical tool already in use in hundreds of US cities. Watch a five-minute video on health, equity and housing on Toronto’s 2010 municipal election agenda by Wellesley Institute’s Michael Shapcott.
By: Wellesley Institute Local Health Integration Networks are among the most important health reforms in recent years and are playing a key role in the ongoing transformation of the Ontario health system. As such, LHINs are crucial mechanisms for building equity into planning and service delivery. And they are doing a great deal across the province. Read the rest of this entry »
By: Michael Shapcott Help build a new national housing plan for Canada from the community up. The Wellesley Institute would like to to take 20 minutes or so to complete an on-line survey as a first step in joining an emerging national housing and homelessness network that is working towards a national housing strategy that would support Canada’s diverse communities and meet their housing needs. Read the rest of this entry »
By: Michael Shapcott The Wellesley Institute is partnering with YongeStreet, a new on-line urban magazine that focuses on health, equity and innovation – three of our top priorities. Read the rest of this entry »
By: Wellesley Institute The Wellesley Institute calls on the Ontario government to take a multi-sectoral 10-year approach to maximizing its social return on investment. In a 15-minute presentation to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs of the Ontario Legislature (see the official Committee transcript) on Monday, February 1, Rick Blickstead outlined three major recommendations for strategic investment. Read the rest of this entry »
