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Fraser Institute defines poverty out of existence...
May 08th, 2008 by Michael Shapcott
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There are two ways to reduce poverty:

The best way is to get money into the hands of low-income people and adopt other practical and effective measures, such as affordable housing, education and training and so on. The other way is to define poverty out of existence by statistical sleight of hand: Tell the poor, and everyone else, that the poor aren’t really poor, and hope that they just go away.

The Fraser Institute, the private-market-obsessed policy institute, opted for numerical dexterity as it published its latest research paper on poverty in Canada. Author Christopher Sarlo makes the astonishing claim that poverty in Canada has shrunk to a statistically tiny level in recent years.

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Supportive Housing: How much does Toronto need; how are we going to get it?

Everyone is welcome to attend this free community forum on supportive housing in Toronto, co-sponsored by the Wellesley Institute and Housing Action Now. A panel including supportive housing residents, supportive housing providers and housing experts will launch the session, with plenty of time for discussion. Learn about current research, issues and challenges; add your questions, comments and ideas. Recommendations from the forum will be forwarded to the City of Toronto’s 10-year housing strategy, along with the provincial and federal governments.

When: Monday, May 26, 2008, from 1:30 pm to 4 pm
Where: Toronto City Hall, Committee Room #2

For more details and information on how to confirm your participation please Download our Flyer

New income numbers confirm growing income inequality

Canada’s growing income inequality is causing increased housing insecurity and is, in turn, leading to growing health inequities, according to the Wellesley Institute, an independent policy and research institute based in Toronto. One-in-four Canadian households have incomes below the fair housing income, according to a new calculation released today. That number rises to one-in-three households in Toronto.

Download the Wellesley Institute's Backgrounder:
Income inequality, increased housing insecurity, and growing health inequities: an analysis of Statistics Canada's income and housing census figures