Wellesley Institute works in research and policy to improve health and health equity in the GTA through action on the social determinants of health.
Residents across the City of Toronto experience significant disparities in housing, income and mental health and well-being. These inequities create and exacerbate health inequities across population groups, disproportionately affecting those who are low-income, racialized, people with disabilities and newcomers. The City of Toronto budget makes a big difference in the health and well-being of all […]
Continue ReadingCity of Toronto Budget 2025: Our recommendations
Old Age Security is a powerful poverty reduction program. The payments can be a significant portion of an older adult’s overall income, especially if they are low-income. However, more than 10,000 low-income older adults in Toronto are not accessing their OAS benefits, even though they are eligible. Furthermore, certain groups, including racialized individuals and those […]
Continue ReadingUnclaimed Benefits: Too many missing out on Old Age Security in Toronto Download PublicationUnclaimed Benefits
Evidence shows 2SLGBTQ+ communities in Canada experience higher rates of homelessness. They face unique barriers to housing, and there are major gaps in the ability of housing and service providers to offer the supports they need. In an effort to help cities address the issue, Wellesley Institute reviewed 27 current and forthcoming municipal-led or supported […]
Continue ReadingJurisdictional scan: Strategies to support homeless 2SLGBTQ+ communities Download PublicationStrategies to Support Homeless 2SLGBTQ+ Communities – A jurisdictional scan
Sociodemographic data can be an essential tool for research and policy development in healthcare. A series of papers by researchers at Wellesley Institute, in partnership with researchers at the Black Health Alliance, brought together evidence and best practices for service providers on effective strategies for the systematic collection, use and community governance of sociodemographic data. […]
Continue ReadingPolicy brief: Collection, use and governance of sociodemographic data in Ontario Download PublicationPolicy Brief: Collection, Use and Governance of Sociodemographic Data in Ontario
Good data is important for decision-making. In Ontario, there has been growing discussion about collecting sociodemographic data about people to better understand the health inequities that can exist across groups of people. When this information is studied, it can help health system planners develop programs that address the inequities. It is important to consider carefully […]
Continue ReadingSociodemographic data for health Download PublicationBest practices to use sociodemographic data to improve access and outcomes of health services for equity-deserving populations
Good child care advances health equity. While the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care initiative introduced in 2021 has improved certain components of child care in this country, this policy brief argues that there continues to be disparities across provinces and territories. If we are going to build and maintain a child-care system that works […]
Continue ReadingPolicy Brief: Advancing health equity within Canada’s child-care program Download PublicationPolicy Brief – Advancing health equity within Canada’s child-care program
What do you need to live a healthy and engaged life in the Greater Toronto Area with a mild to moderate physical or mental health disability? This research by Wellesley Institute shows the resources required to thrive with a disability can cost up to 39 per cent more than thriving without a disability. The first […]
Continue ReadingThriving in the City with a Disability Download PublicationThriving with a disability: A framework for a healthy life
Primary care is a foundational part of the healthcare system. Yet many Ontarians lack a regular healthcare provider and there are inequities accessing primary care services, especially for racialized, low-income and 2SLGBTQ+ populations. This scoping review identified 68 peer-review studies that discussed 17 different barriers and enablers to primary care access for these populations. While […]
Continue ReadingBarriers and enablers to primary care access for equity-deserving populations in Ontario Download PublicationBarriers and Enablers to Primary Care Access for Equity-Deserving Populations in Ontario – A Scoping Review
This report by Wellesley Institute is the result of interviews and focus groups with 33 community members and subject matter experts on community violence in Toronto. It examines the ways in which violence manifests in communities, the effects it has, and the interventions that are needed to address it.
Continue ReadingCommunity violence in Toronto Download PublicationCommunity Violence in Toronto
To drive change in health and health equity, we must catalyze action. For Wellesley Institute, this means conducting applied research, identifying effective policy solutions, mobilizing the exchange of knowledge and developing health equity skills and capacity in the community. Our research is profound, capturing the real issues facing GTA residents – from the affordability crisis, […]
Continue ReadingImpact Report 2023-2024 Download PublicationWellesley Institute Impact Report 2023-24
We wish to acknowledge this land on which the Wellesley Institute operates. For thousands of years, it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.
Revised by the Ceremonial Committee at the University of Toronto Office of Indigenous Initiatives in April 2021.