Toronto will get a $12.3 million holiday gift from the province – partial repayment, for one year only, of $21 million in housing and homelessness funding cutsthat took effect on January 1st. The Ontario government rushed out its announcement of $42 million in transitional housing and homelessness funds to municipalities in the middle of the holiday season, just […]
Great holiday news as Ontario steps up with transitional funding for housing and homelessness supports
The Ontario government announced today that it would provide transitional funding of $42 million in 2013-14 for municipalities to develop and implement their consolidated housing and homelessness plans, which will set out how each muncipality addresses their local housing needs. The Wellesley Institute and community groups from across the province have been calling on the government to […]
Counting down to the end of the Community Start-Up and Maintenance Benefit: there’s still time for Ontario to avoid a crisis
We’re now less than two weeks away from the Government of Ontario terminating the Community Start-Up and Maintenance Benefit (CSUMB) and an impending and avoidable housing and homelessness crisis. The CSUMB helps people receiving social assistance to pay for large or unexpected housing-related costs, supporting them to become and remain housed. As of January 1st, this […]
Health system transformation must focus on health equity
By Adrianna Tetley, Executive Director, Association of Ontario Health Centres Premier Dalton McGuinty’s departure as premier will most certainly bring change to Ontario. But one thing we hope doesn’t change is the provincial government’s commitment to transform our fragmented healthcare system. What’s required is revolutionary change – delivered in an evolutionary way. And one of the most […]
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Person-Centred Care, Equity And Other Building Blocks For Excellent Care For All
Integrating Equity into Person-Centred Care: Central LHIN Planning Forum LHINs are developing their new Integrated Health Service Plans, strategic plans for the next three years. Many have consulted widely with their healthcare service provider and community partners. Central LHIN pulled together a diverse forum of providers and patient representatives to help identify key issues and […]
Continue ReadingPerson-Centred Care, Equity And Other Building Blocks For Excellent Care For All
Cut to housing benefits will affect the health of the homeless, women, children, and people with disabilities
In the 2012 Ontario budget, the government announced that it was eliminating the Community Start-Up and Maintenance Benefit (CSUMB). The CSUMB helps people receiving social assistance to pay for large or unexpected housing-related costs, supporting them to become and remain housed. As of January 1, 2013, the CSUMB will end and 50 percent of its […]
Childhood obesity: What we can do right now
This morning, Dr. Monika Dutt, Cape Breton’s Medical Officer of Health, spoke to CBC Radio about options and opportunities to reduce the health impacts of obesity. Dr. Dutt was responding to a recent call from the Ontario Medical Association to put graphic pictures on junk food packaging to deter people from eating these kinds of […]
How Ontario government ministries are acting on social determinants of health
This is a guest blog by Nicoda Foster and Christine Chan, Masters of Public Health Students at the University of Toronto and University of Liverpool respectively. They also both work in policy analysis and project management in the health sector in Toronto, Ontario. We would like to share findings from a survey we conducted over […]
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Important progress toward a health-enabling social assistance system, but more work is required
The release today of the final report of the Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario recommends a number of important steps toward improving the health of people on social assistance. Increasing rates Most significantly, the Commission recommended an immediate increase of $100 per month for single people receiving Ontario Works (OW). OW […]
Wellesley Institute response to the Ontario Social Assistance Review
UPDATE: Read our response here. In 2010, the provincial government established the Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario, led by Commissioners Francis Lankin and Munir A. Sheikh. The Commission’s task was to recommend reforms to social assistance benefit structures, expectations of and supports for labour market participation, and income and asset […]
Continue ReadingWellesley Institute response to the Ontario Social Assistance Review