Toronto City Council’s Executive Committee meets on Jan. 24th to consider an unprecedented recommendation from Toronto Community Housing Company (TCHC) to sell-off 675 buildings that include 740 affordable homes. The scheme comes at a time when Toronto’s affordable housing wait list sets new records month after month, and the vacancy rate in the private rental […]
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People care about the kind of city they live in: Toronto City Budget
Thanks to the powerful interventions of many groups and individuals across the city, Toronto has a municipal budget that preserves many critical programs and services that had been targeted for deep cuts by the Ford administration. However, these programs and services should never have been on the chopping block in the first place given the […]
Continue ReadingPeople care about the kind of city they live in: Toronto City Budget
If you had a disability, would you be able to work?
If you had a disability, would you be able to work? It’s a tough question, and you might say that it depends on the severity of the disability. That’s certainly a factor, but what about if you were well enough to work – part time, full time or something in-between – but only if you […]
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Four former mayors urge City Council, Ontario government to reject scheme to sell-off 706 affordable homes
Four former mayors urge City Council, Ontario government to reject scheme to sell-off 706 affordable homes Four former Toronto mayors are urging current Mayor Rob Ford and Ontario housing minister Kathleen Wynne to reject a proposal to sell-off 706 Toronto Community Housing Company affordable homes. Former mayor Barbara Hall, chair of the Ontario Human Rights […]
Budgets are about choices: Housing and homelessness cuts proposed for Toronto’s 2012 budget
The proposals in Toronto’s draft budget to shut down three transitional shelters for 97 elderly and health-compromised homeless women and men will “save” city taxpayers less than $2 million, but will be costly to the health and lives of individuals who will lose access to a valuable service – and will also be costly to […]
Toronto Budget 2012: Overview
In our efforts to improve population health, the Wellesley Institute has been working alongside countless inviduals and organizations over the past few months to inform budget-related decision-making at Toronto City Hall. The cuts and modifications to city-funded programs and services currently being debated both inside and outside city hall have critically important health and health […]
Race, Racism and Canadians’ Health
You are invited to attend: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Join us for a conversation on the relationship between race, racism and health with Dr. Camara Jones and Dr. Sheryl Nestel. Dr. Jones, from the National Centres for Disease Control, will bring her knowledge and expertise on the impacts of racism on health and […]
Toronto’s proposed housing and homelessness cuts threaten health, lives of many people
A transitional shelter slated for closure under current Toronto budget plans has had a positive impact on the health and lives of homeless men. “Without the Dells, I wouldn’t be where I am at today… it saved my life,” says David Oliver in a powerful story in today’s Toronto Star by reporter Brendan Kennedy. In […]
Building Health Equity In: Drawing on Community Innovation
One of the critical problems facing the health system is inequitable access to health promotion, treatment and other services; especially for those facing language and other systemic barriers. A very promising innovation developed in recent years by Community Health Centres, public health and other community-based providers is the idea of peer health ambassadors. These are people […]
Continue ReadingBuilding Health Equity In: Drawing on Community Innovation
Should social assistance help you to scrape by, or to get a good job?
Social assistance is about more than just providing enough money for people to survive. Social assistance should also work to ensure wider opportunities for people to find employment or pursue further training or education. Investing in individuals – from early childhood through high school, to college or university, and work training and experience – creates […]
Continue ReadingShould social assistance help you to scrape by, or to get a good job?