More than one million people live in almost two thousand high-rise apartment towers in the Greater Golden Horseshoe – the largest urban region in Canada. Tower Renewal in the Greater Golden Horseshoe is the first detailed examination of the greater Toronto region’s vertical communities. The report notes that most buildings are concentrated in areas of high social need, […]
Blog
Ontario’s 2011 Budget Can Build Healthy, Inclusive Province With Investments In Homes, Social Ventures
Later today, I’m joining Rick Blickstead, CEO of the Wellesley Institute, for a meeting with Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan. We appreciate the opportunity to deliver practical and pragmatic recommendations about how Ontario’s 2011 budget can build a healthy, inclusive province. A good income and good housing is vital for population health, as research from the Wellesley Institute […]
An easy guide to creating healthy, inclusive neighbourhoods with a good mix of housing
A healthy, inclusive neighbourhood includes a good mix of housing for all households and all incomes. But it doesn’t happen by accident. Private developers build for the market. Market ownership costs and market rents are unaffordable to low, moderate and even middle-income households. Hundreds of US cities use a set of tools and rules to […]
Affordable Housing Mandates
This report reviews the affordable housing mandates that have been used by uppertier jurisdictions in the US and Canada. The mandates include those in the four states of New Jersey, California, Massachusetts and Connecticut; the two provinces of British Columbia and Ontario; and the two metropolitan areas of Portland, Oregon and Minneapolis/St Paul, Minnesota (also […]
A Guide to Developing an Inclusionary Housing Program
This guide identifies the main aspects of inclusionary housing that should be addressed in order to implement an effective program, and also the main principles and key practices that should be followed when addressing those aspects. It does not attempt to draft a model bylaw nor to set out specific regulations. In many cases, those […]
Continue ReadingA Guide to Developing an Inclusionary Housing Program
Gender inequity is at the heart of the HIV/AIDS crisis
Last week, I attended a talk by the always-wonderful Stephen Lewis on the Give a Day initiative, a grassroots response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Give A Day challenges each Canadian to recognize World AIDS Day – today – by giving one day’s pay to the Stephen Lewis Foundation in their fight against what Lewis describes […]
Continue ReadingGender inequity is at the heart of the HIV/AIDS crisis
World AIDS Day
HIV/AIDS is above all else shaped by the social determinants of health. Incidence — and inequitable access to vital treatment and support services — is worse among Aboriginal people, women, racialized communities, IV drug users and other poor and marginalized communities, and in poorer countries. But it has also been massive mobilization out of the communities […]
Ontario introduces draft legislation to replace Social Housing Reform Act, allow secondary suites
The Ontario government has moved quickly to introduce draft legislation to replace the Social Housing Reform Act yesterday, tabling Bill 140 in the Legislature on the same day that it announced its proposed new provincial affordable housing plan. The new legislation weighs in at more than 90 pages, so it will take some time to work […]
CHC's provide innovative programs to drive health equity
Last night, a couple of us from Wellesley went to a celebration of Ontario’s Community Health Centres (CHCs). The event featured displays from some of the 73 CHCs across Ontario and a video that highlighted the CHCs’ innovative practices and work to reach diverse populations in Ontario. Some of these practices include mobile units that […]
Continue ReadingCHC's provide innovative programs to drive health equity
Scaffolding up, but lots of work still needed before Ontario finishes building its housing plan
![](https://www.wellesleyinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/quickresponseontarioLTAHnovember2010-thumb.jpg)
The Ontario government has put up the scaffolding for a long-term affordable housing strategy, but there’s plenty of unfinished business for Queen’s Park as it seeks to build a truly comprehensive plan to ensure everyone has access to a healthy, affordable home. There are no targets, timelines and no new housing investments. After six months […]