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From the Ground: A Municipality led solution to the housing crisis
01:01:32|Canada is in the grip of a housing crisis affecting Canadians, communities and local economies. Municipalities are on the front lines—and land is at the foundation of local solutions. By starting with land locally, communities can move faster, reduce project costs and create more permanently affordable housing for the people who need it most. From the Ground is a national, mayor-driven movement, led by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) identifying publicly owned or underused land for non-market housing. This campaign will support communities in building a stronger pipeline of housing-ready sites and connecting local opportunities to the partners, financing and policy tools needed to move projects forward. We speak to the Mayor of Newmarket, John Taylor, a passionate housing advocate, and Jen Arntfield, Senior Manager, Research and Policy at FCM, about how they are inviting local leaders to participate in this municipality-led movement.
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A model for preserving community: The Kensington Market Community Land Trust
57:59|Land Trusts continue to flourish across the country. The Kensington Market Community land Trust (KMCLT) started 10 years ago as a means to preserve affordable rents in the community. Today, supported by community bonds, donations and the City of Toronto's Multi-Unit Residential Acquisition Program, the KMCLT owns three buildings including mixed residential and commercial spaces. Dominique Russell and Celia Wandio, Co-Directors of the Land Trust speak to us about Land Trusts broadly, the KMCLT's history and how managing commercial and residential spaces provides unique challenges. They also speak about the governance structure and recommendations to make the model even more viable in order to preserve affordability and the unique character of a neighbourhood.The Research Behind Canada’s National Housing Strategy with Shauna McKinnon
39:36|Today we are joined by Shauna McKinnon, Professor of Urban and Inner-City Studies at University of Winnipeg as well as Board member of the University of Winnipeg Community Renewal Corporation. Shauna is also a founding member of the Social Housing and Human Rights coalition. We talk to Shauna about changes in the housing landscape, the National Housing Strategy 2.0 and the important role of social housing investments to help solve the housing crisis.Innovations in community supportive housing with Alana Jones
54:18|Today we welcome Alana Jones, Founder and Executive Director at Borden Place. Borden Place is a supportive community housing provider based in Toronto whose program started from neighborhood concerns about a neglected rooming house. Today, through strong community and landlord relationships, Borden Place manages three locations across the GTA. Borden Place ensures that rooming houses remain an affordable option and that individuals have the support they need to thrive. Individuals receive housing, food, mental health and addictions supports, all funded through charitable donations.A Decade of Reflection: 10 years of growth and dedication with Emmy Kelly
48:58|This week on On the Way Home, we sit down with Emmy Kelly, former On the Way Home host and Blue Door COO, as she reflects on her next chapter. Emmy shares insights from her nearly 10 years at Blue Door, the lessons she learned from colleagues and individual service users, and the incredible housing community she had the opportunity to connect with through the podcast.Raising the Bar: Ene Underwood on Building 2,000 Affordable Homes Now
41:08|Can affordable homeownership still be part of the solution to Canada's housing crisis? In this episode of On the Way Home, Emmy Kelly speaks with Ene Underwood, CEO of Habitat for Humanity GTA, about the organization's ambitious new strategic plan, Raising the Bar: 2,000 Homes by 2030. Ene reflects on how the housing landscape has changed during her decade of leadership, why affordable homeownership remains a critical piece of the housing continuum, and what barriers continue to stand in the way of building the 1.5+ million homes Ontario needs. The conversation explores Habitat's unique model, common misconceptions about affordable housing, and the innovative partnerships and policy changes that could help more families achieve the stability and opportunity that comes with owning a home.Building Affordable Housing Faster with Joshua Benard
27:11|What if affordable housing could be built faster, more efficiently, and on a greater scale without sacrificing quality? In this episode of On the Way Home, Emmy Kelly speaks with Joshua Benard, Executive Vice President of Real Estate Development & Construction from Habitat for Humanity GTA about the organization’s new Build Factory initiative and its potential to accelerate the delivery of affordable housing. The conversation explores how factory-built construction differs from traditional methods, why the model could help address labour and efficiency challenges, and what it takes to bring innovative housing solutions from concept to reality. Josh also discusses the partnerships behind the project, common misconceptions about factory-built housing, and their vision for how the Build Factory could contribute to accelerating affordable housing development across Canada.