A new report by Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Arlene King, has highlighted some of the barriers that low income people face in receiving oral health care in our province. Dr. King found that: Ontario has the lowest rate of public funding for dental care in Canada. 71% of Ontarians visited a dentist […]
Archives for April 2012
Toronto’s affordable housing wait list continues to set stunning new records
Toronto’s affordable housing wait list continues to set stunning new records month after month. The list stands at an all-time high of 83,681 households in March – up a staggering 7% in the past year. The March number beat the previous record set in February, and that beat the previous record set in January. The wait list […]
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The “New Age” of Austerity
Austerity is bad for our health: Gender and distributional impacts of the Drummond recommendations.
Small steps are good, but services, jobs and equality are best for all
This afternoon an agreement was reached on the Ontario budget. Three major changes have been made: the introduction of a temporary increase in taxes for Ontarians earning more than $500,000 per year, an increase in rates for people who are surviving on social assistance, and increased funding for child care. It’s important to pause for […]
Continue ReadingSmall steps are good, but services, jobs and equality are best for all
New Certificate in Community Engagement, Leadership, and Development
Learn to better engage community members in the planning, problem-solving, and decision-making processes that improve the social, political, and cultural wellbeing of civic and community life. This program is geared towards practitioners in the public and non-profit sectors, social services, education, labour, health, housing, policing, and transportation. Winnie Ng (Ryerson University) and Deena Ladd (Workers […]
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Drummond Report: Health Reforms Won’t Work Without Building Equity In
The Drummond Report’s emphasis on reform and innovation in the way health care is organized and delivered is vital. The issues it highlights – from quality and patient-centred care, through better integration of health services and long-term planning, to a welcome emphasis on prevention — are crucial directions for creating an effective health care system. […]
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New Irish research sets innovative housing financing issues and options
As governments in many parts of the world cut back on financial support for affordable housing, there is growing interest in the possible role for private finance in funding social housing. “Financing the Irish Social Rented Housing Sector: Lessons from England and Canada” is a new report from Cluid Housing Association in Ireland that sets out […]
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Missing in Action (Plan): Equity
The Ontario government plans to conduct reviews of provincial spending. This both responds to the Drummond report call for more efficient and innovative government delivery and aims to more proactively identify room for improving effectiveness and impact before problems are uncovered – and publicized – by the Auditor General. The Minister of Finance has identified three critical […]
New TCHC task force gets organized!
The new task force on the future of Toronto Community Housing Company held its organizational meeting Monday and adopted an ambitious agenda for the next four months. The Wellesley Institute backs the working group and has set out seven key priorities to protect and preserve the TCHC portfolio ranging from effective engagement of TCHC tenants, re-engaging the federal and […]
Public Health is a Key Driver for Health Equity
Public health have long been leaders in advancing health equity: whether developing comprehensive equity strategies, conducting local research on the roots of health inequities, providing innovative programs and support to health disadvantaged populations, working in broad collaborations to create and sustain the social and infrastructural foundations of healthy communities, or creative initiatives to shift the […]
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