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Globe and Mail supports government spending
Jul 30th, 2008 by Brian Eng
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It is refreshing to see that Canada's national newspaper supports government spending in infrastructure and community services as a way making sure that we are competitive in our ability to attract business investment.  An editorial in todays edition points out that Canada already has one of the most competitive business tax rates among G7 nations and cautions against assuming that lowering tax rates further will entice more business investment.

They cite a KPMG report that says, among other things:

On average, companies say that tax makes up only one-fifth of their  "location-sensitive" costs

The Globe editorial points out the need for government investment, supported by a strong tax base, in things like transportation infrastructure and health care.  They also mention quality of life indicators like crime rates and public schools.

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Better Off in a Shelter?

A Year of Homelessness & Housing among Status Immigrant, Non-Status Migrant, & Canadian-Born Families

A new research report from the University of Toronto’s Centre for Urban and Community Studies / Cities Centre by Emily Paradis, Sylvia Novac, Monica Sarty, and J. David Hulchanski offers these troubling findings: Women in Toronto without permanent resident status − whether they are temporary workers awaiting resolution of a refugee claim, or living “underground” − are extremely vulnerable, often living in conditions of deep poverty, housing instability, danger, and exploitation. They have limited access to social assistance, health care, and other social benefits, and often rely on under-the-table employment or informal networks to secure housing. For these women, pregnancy and childbirth represent a crisis, making employment impossible, incurring health care costs, and disrupting precarious housing arrangements. Most enter family shelters where they are required to try to regularize their status, although many will not qualify as refugees.

Planning for inclusive neighbourhoods

There have been a near-record number of new homes built in Toronto and other Canadian municipalities in recent years. Only a tiny fraction of them are truly affordable to low and moderate-income households. Even middle-income households are increasingly being squeezed out of private housing markets.

On June 26, 2008 the Wellesley Institute and the University of Toronto Cities Centre hosted a forum to review the opportunities and challenges of inclusionary zoning, a practice used by hundreds of municipalities across the United States to create affordable homes. More than 100 people gathered at the Sutton Place hotel to hear about how inclusionary zoning works in the US and what might be useful in the Canadian context. They heard from:

Richard Drdla, a planning consultant in Toronto with a long time interest in inclusionary planning policies - Presentation

David Rusk, the leading U.S. authority on inclusionary zoning (and the former mayor of Santa Fe) - Presentation

Sheila Dillon, the Director of Housing for the City of Boston - Presentation