Concerned About Homelessness?
If you are concerned about housing and homelessness in Canada, here is a list of resources to help you learn more about the issues.
Recent Research
Shared Accommodation in Toronto: Successful Practices and Opportunities for Change in the Rooming House Sector
(Full Document) (Executive Summary)
Released in June 2008, this research study aims to "...raise awareness of the positive contribution rooming houses make as part of the city's housing continuum and to work towards increasing the supply of legal, safe and affordable housing for single people with low incomes."
Website Resources
http://www.toronto.ca/housing/wishlist.htm
City of Toronto's Shelter Support and Housing Administration Website has listed: How to help people who are homeless this holiday season, including suggestions of donations and participating agencies.
A website dedicated to research on homeless issues across Canada
A Wellesley Institue advances the social determinants of health through community-based research, capacity building and the informing of public policy. The site inclues a Wiki-pedia on housing and homelessness.
Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario
Join the Homelessness Action Group if you are interested in public education and political advocacy on the issues of homelessness and affordable housing in Toronto.
Videos and VideoClips
Trauma Conference - This Trauma and Homelessness Conference took place in Toronto on Oct.7, 2009 and was a joint initiative of the City of Toronto and the Government of Canada. Featured here are three presentations. In the first, a Toronto Trauma Panel discusses their direct working and lived experience with Trauma and Homelessness. The second presentation is by Dr. Gabor Mate M.D. Dr. Mate speaks on "Trauma and Addictions: How the Past Burdens the Present". In the third video, Boston therapist Peter Botteas M.A. speaks on "Focus on Trauma: Recognizing trauma, tools to use with clients, and self-care for front-line workers".
Toronto Trauma Panel
Dr. Gabor Mate: Trauma and Addictions - How the Past Burdens the Present
Peter Boteas: Focus on Trauma
- associated presentation (1)
- associated presentation (2)
Rent Bank Video Clip - This short (50 second) clip has been distributed to more than 200 landlords and 250 housing help services across the city over the past two years, as part of a 6 minute video entitled “Together, We Can End Homelessness” from our RENT/landlordconnect program. The video describes solid, working relationships between housing workers and landlords. This clip specifically, speaks to the Rent Bank program, and it has been a powerful tool for us to engage landlords in working with housing workers and homelessness prevention efforts.
Scarborough Homelessness Committee has produced "Housing in Scarborough: Crisis in the Suburbs" View a video clip.
AT HOME has produced "Community Building" View video clip 1 and video clip 2.
"Together, We Can End Homelessness" a six minute video produced by RENT - landlordconnect.ca that outlines the program and focuses on the importance of building relationships with landlords.
Coalitions Across Canada
Below is a list of coaltions across Canada that are working on housing and homelessness issues
1. |
Affordable Housing Action Network | www.hastingshousing.com/ahan/index.cfm | |
2. |
Alberta Housing Coalition | www.albertahousingcoalition.ca | |
3. |
Alliance to End Homelessness | www.endhomelessnessottawa.ca | |
4. |
Calgary Committee to End Homelessness |
www.endinghomelessness.ca | |
5. |
Citywide Housing Coalition | www.citywidehousingcoalition.org | |
6. |
Greater Moncton Homelessness Steering Committee | monctonhomelessness.org | |
7. |
Homelessness Coalition of Windsor-Essex County |
www.takingactiononhomelessness.com | |
8. |
Homelessness and Housing Umbrella Group |
hhug.ca | |
9. |
National Alliance to End Homelessness |
www.endhomelessness.org | |
10. |
Poverty Network | www.povnet.org | |
11. |
Save Low Income Housing Coalition |
slihc.resist.ca | |
12. |
Settlement.org | www.settlement.org | |
13. |
Shared Learnings on Homelessness |
www.sharedlearnings.org | |
14. |
Simcoe County Alliance to End Homelessness | www.endhomelessness.ca | |
15. |
The Alliance to End Homelessness | www.raisingtheroof.org | |
16. |
Toronto Disaster Relief Committee |
www.tdrc.net | |
17. |
York Region Alliance to End Homelessness |
www.yraeh.ca | |
| 18 | Winnipeg Housing and Homelessness Initiative | www.whhi.ca | |
19. |
Winnipeg Rental Network |
www.winnipegrentnet.ca |
Research on Homelessness
Released in June 2008, this research study aims to "...raise awareness of the positive contribution rooming houses make as part of the city's housing continuum and to work towards increasing the supply of legal, safe and affordable housing for single people with low incomes."
Sustaining Ontario's Subsidized Housing by Supporting Non-Profit Organizations
Canadian Policy Research Networks, Social Houisng Services Corporation and York University has released this document that analyzes the contribution of private non-profit organizations to Toronto's subsidized housing system and identifies some of the most significant barriers they face.
Inclusion and Social Housing Practice in Canadian Cities
Canadian Policy Research Networks and Social Housing Services Corporation released this research project which analyzes the policy, planning and design processes that led to the creation of three recent socially-mixed projects.
Social Lives in Social Housing
Canadian Policy Research Networks, Social Houisng Services Corporation and York University has released this document that analyzes the theoretical and pratical implications of whether living in social housing affects residents' ability to access other essential social services.
Fostering Better Integration and Partnerships for Housing in Canada
The Canadian Policy Research Networks and the social Housing Services Corporation have released this study on strengthening housing governmance through collaboration between levels of governemnt.
Social Housing in Canada: We Can Do Better
The Canadian Policy Research Networks e-bulletin releases four studies produced in partnership with Social Housing Services Corporation of Ontario and the Knowledge Mobilization Unit of York University.
CMHC Research Report (final): Profile of Rooming House Residents
This 189 page 2006 CMHC report details the perspectives of Rooming House residents and landlords studied in three major Canadian cities.
Evaluating Housing Stability
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has produced this research document on Evaluating Housing Stability for People with Serious Mental Illness at Risk for Homelessness.
A Study of Tenant Exits from Housing for Homeless People
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has produced this research study on formerly homeless people who live in two alternative housing programs. This study investigated what helps some tenants maintain housing stability and what puts others at risk of losing their housing.