It’s day two at World Urban Forum III in Vancouver. As the Wellesley Institute’s representative, I’m meeting colleagues working on housing, health and other urban issues from around the world. Some of the stories are sobering, some are inspiring. WUFIII is hosted by UN Habitat, the housing and human settlements agency of the United Nations. […]
Housing
More bad news for renters…
Canada’s four million renter households woke up to more bad news this morning as the latest survey from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation shows that the country’s already dangerously low rental vacancy rate has slipped even lower. There’s more bad news: The CMHC survey reveals that over the past year, rents have increased faster than […]
Homeless minister misses homeless consultation
The federal government has convened a national homelessness consultation today and tomorrow in Ottawa that has brought together about 100 leading experts from across the country (homeless service providers, agencies, advocates, academic experts, government officials). About the only person missing is the federal homelessness minister, Monte Solberg, who sent a video instead of appearing in […]
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Happy 60th anniversary – Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Today (December 10) marks the 60th anniversary of the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Human rights form the cornerstone of national and global economic, political and social policy. Every person, instead of being reduced to pleading for special favours, is recognized to have universal rights – and governments are obliged to also recognize […]
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Community-based housing leaders from across Ontario gather for provincial forum
About 100 community-based housing and homelessness leaders from across Ontario will gather in Toronto on Monday for a provincial forum hosted by the newly created Housing Network of Ontario. Full updates on the day’s proceedings, plus info on the upcoming Ontario housing consultation, will be posted here, where you can also find links to key […]
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Day two of SOCAP09: Intersection of money, meaning and message
Day two of SOCAP09 was filled with plenaries, workshops and lots of wonderful, often serendipitous encounters with people doing amazing work in United States and around the world. (I am recovering from a bad cold, and managed to avoid going ‘viral’ on my fellow attendees in San Francisco). Full details about SOCAP09, including video and […]
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Federal Homelessness Cuts: Bad Now, Worse To Come
Bad now , worse to come: That’s the verdict in the Wellesley Institute backgrounder on cuts to the federal homelessness program. Toronto, Guelph, Peel, London, Windsor, Ottawa and Yellowknife have all reported cuts in 2006 funding under the Supporting Community Partnerships Initiative (the federal homelessness program). And the entire $134.8 million program is set to expire […]
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Adopt Bill C-304 – national groups urge Parliament
National housing / homelessness groups issued a media release today calling on Parliament to adopt Bill C-304, draft legislation to create a national housing plan for Canada.
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Great news: National housing act bill (C-304) moves big step closer to law
Great news! Third reading debate on Bill C-304 – draft legislation to create a national housing plan for Canada – started on Wednesday evening in Parliament, and three of the four political parties in the Commons have pledged their support. Vancouver East MP Libby Davies, sponsor of the bill, told her fellow MPs: “This bill […]
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Great news: Bill C-304 (national housing plan) passes committee, back to Commons for final vote
Great news: Just moments ago, a final amendment was made to Bill C-304 (draft legislation to create a long overdue national housing plan for Canada) – and the bill is headed back to the floor of the House of Commons for third and final reading.