When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Ontario in 2020, it was an emergency. It was a poorly understood and potentially catastrophic threat and we accepted that governments needed the latitude to use all of their powers to help us survive. We generally went along with what was needed from us. We understood that in such a […]
Health systems and Health equity
Widening inequities: Long-term housing affordability in the Toronto CMA
This paper examines long-term population-level housing affordability challenges and trends in the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) from 1991 to 2016. This project’s goal is to analyze how housing affordability has changed for the general population and for different socio-demographic groups over this 25-year study period. Affordability is measured using shelter cost to income ratio […]
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A new normal for health coverage
Our current approach to medication, dental care, and extended health coverage is leaving low-income, working-age Canadians behind – in particular racialized, immigrant, and female workers who face significant barriers to good jobs with benefits. With government programs (of varying levels of adequacy) targeted primarily at seniors, children from low-income families, and adults receiving social assistance, […]
Research and knowledge mobilization in the GTA’s immigrant and refugee-serving sector: A needs assessment
The past few years have been a time of great change in migration research and for the immigrant and refugee-serving sector in the GTA. This needs assessment was conducted in an attempt to understand the impact of the Joint Centre for Excellence for Research on Immigration and Settlement (CERIS), the effects of COVID-19 on research […]
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Pedestrian safety and neighbourhood equity
Toronto’s streets are a valuable public space for building community connections, accessing resources, and staying active. But these benefits can only be realized if streets are safe spaces for all users. Safety is particularly important for pedestrians. Not only are they the group most vulnerable to traffic collisions, but they are also the most universal […]
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Proof of vaccination in public settings: An equity lens
COVID-19 vaccinations reduce our risk of infection, hospitalization, and death. It is heartening that 85 per cent of Ontarians aged 12 and up (75 per cent of the population) have received their first dose. With rising case counts and the highly transmissible Delta variant gaining traction in Ontario, there is increased urgency to ensure as […]
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Thriving in the City for families
Wellesley Institute’s Thriving in the City research works towards a reality where all residents in the Greater Toronto Area have the resources to achieve a healthy life. Thriving means having resources to meet their physical, social, and psychological health needs now and in the future. It includes having resources to meet health needs related to […]
Equity-Centered Community Engagement Strategy
To access this project, please visit https://making-space.city/
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Budget submission 2022: Prioritizing health equity
Canada has significant health inequities. Wellesley Institute research has shown that social factors such as housing, income, education, discrimination, and access to social supports, are vital for individual and community health as well as Canada’s economic growth. To build back better, to establish a new normal, inequities in the social determinants of health must be […]
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Tracking COVID-19 through race-based data
Developed in partnership with Ontario Health, this report examines race-based data collected between June 26, 2020 and April 21, 2021, by Ontario public health units. The data show that COVID-19’s impact has been highly racialized. The analysis found that racialized populations had 1.2- to 7.1-fold higher rates of COVID-19 infection compared with white Ontarians. The […]
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