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The impact of social services underfunding in the Greater Toronto area.
01:04:51|For decades the population in communities surrounding Toronto have grown at a rapid pace. Recent studies in Peel, York and Halton, have demonstrated that while the populations have grown, the funding has not kept pace. As a result, there is a significant funding gap between the Regions and older cities like Toronto and Ottawa. Sean Meagher, Executive Director of the Change Lab, is joined by his community partners: Marie Morton, Executive Director of CAYR Community Services in York Region, Rishia Burke, Executive Director at Community Development Halton and Gurpreet Malhotra, Chief Executive Officer at Indus Community Services in Peel Region. They speak about the scope of the underfunding, the impact on their communities, and the fact that the funding gap is costing their communities who are spending more on more services like hospitals, shelters, CASs and criminal justice. This is a fascinating discussion, and there is a lot to learn for other communities across the country who may be experiencing similar legacy underfunding as a result of communities growing quickly outside major urban centres.
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Modern Methods of Construction: What is all the buzz about?
49:58|Those of us working in housing and exploring opportunities for Build Canada Homes funding, have heard a lot of buzz about modern methods of construction. What exactly are modern methods of construction? What qualifies? Is the quality better or worse? How much faster is it to get a housing project completed and when should I not consider modern methods of construction? How can I save money and what are lessons learned from past projects? These are questions we ask Ryan Moxton, Construction Manager at Buttcon. Ryan is passionate about modern methods of construction and shares his expertise with those of us looking at our next housing project and needing to make some of these important decisions.2025's Impact and Looking ahead: Blue Door's successes and innovations
50:45|Alex Cheng, Vice President of Programs and Services at Blue Door, speaks about the organization's accomplishments in the last year and strategic priorities for the next 5 years. Alex discussed how existing services in 3 core service areas : Housing, Health and Employment have continued to grow and demonstrate strong outcomes. He also discusses how Blue Door looks forward to the imminent opening of its first long term affordable housing project and a bold plan to build 1000 affordable units in the next 10 years through Housing for All and a newly incorporated community Land Trust.Inside Homes First: Rethinking Supportive Housing and Homelessness Services
44:32|Homes First is one of Toronto's largest and leading services for housing and homelessness services in Toronto. Homes First offers Emergency Shelter, Supportive Housing and support services including eviction prevention, trauma informed counselling and harm reduction supports. Working with individuals with acute needs, many of whom experience chronic homelessness, Homes First is a leader in Supportive Housing , wrap around supports and implementing a Housing First approach. Nick Falvo, Research Consultant and Homes First staff: Lacey Kerr, Director of Housing, Michael Potvin, Director of Client Services and Ryan Evershed, Assistant Director of Community Engagement and Client Programming, speak about their innovative model. They discuss an opportunity to join a three-day Training lab designed primarily for Directors, Managers, and Supervisors. The onsite training lab will offer an opportunity to dive deeply into the programs and learn from Homes First successes. In this podcast you will learn about the training lab and gain insight into Homes First's programsReducing barriers to Care with Dean Dewar
54:47|Community Health Centres have become vital partners in serving people experiencing homelessness by providing primary health care, mental health support, health promotion programs and community outreach. This week we speak to Dean Dewar, Director, Community Engagement and Outreach Service at Sandy Hill Community Health Centre in Ottawa about reducing barriers to care for some of the most vulnerable in our communities. One of the key components of Sandy Hill's services is employing people with lived experience of homelessness and substance use as key members of the team shaping and leading services within their communities. Dean will also speak about Sandy Hill's experience through the closure of the Centre's Consumption and Treatment Services by engaging staff, service users and community partners.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.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.