Throughout the course of the St James Town Initiative, residents have expressed several challenges that they face on a daily basis. Many of the neighbourhood’s issues can be solved by innovative and targeted policy interventions at all three levels of government.  The city, provincial, and federal governments all have important roles to play in the improvement of the community and in addressing the social determinants of health.  In a new series of policy briefs, the Wellesley Institute’s Matt Kanter analyzes specific challenges for residents of St James Town – immigrant employment , language training , and the improvement of living conditions – and sets out clear and achievable recommendations for policy action.

Download the Wellesley Institute’s Backgrounder:
Income inequality, increased housing insecurity, and growing health inequities: an analysis of Statistics Canada’s income and housing census figures

“This disturbing trend underlines the urgent need for increased social investment in new affordable housing. The period from 2000 to 2005 was a time of strong growth in the Canadian economy,” says Michael Shapcott, Director of Community Engagement with the Wellesley Institute. “Yet the benefits of that growth didn’t flow equitably. Low, moderate and even middle-income households faced big increases in the cost of housing, food, energy and other necessities while, at the same time, their household income was stagnant or declining. Canadians caught in this income-cost squeeze are paying with increased illness and premature death.”