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This year’s Alternative Federal Budget (AFB) was released on March 17.[1] A general overview of the AFB project can be found here, but in a nutshell, it provides an alternative fiscal framework for Canada’s federal government; it’s re
This week's Research Matters blog discusses how organizations can support harm reduction efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic using a "safe supply" strategy.
For the past year we have been working on Duty to Assist, exploring the Welsh model and co-designing a prototype in Hamilton, ON, to explore how it could be adapted to the Canadian context. But what would it actually take to make Duty to Assist a reality in Canada? When the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of the Child approached us and asked if we wanted to make a submission to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, we knew that outlining how Duty to Assist could accelerate Canada’s Obligations Under General Comment No. 21 (2017) was the only direction the submission could take.
Today, PROOF, an interdisciplinary research program investigating household food insecurity in Canada, provides a long-awaited look into the current state of food insecurity in this country.
There are many personal and structural factors that create pathways into homelessness, including natural disasters, relationship breakdowns, unaffordable housing, job losses, and discrimination. Homophobia and transphobia in Canadian families, cities and institutions can lead some youth to find themselves living on the streets and trying to navigate the shelter system.
When you’re struggling with precarious housing, your trajectory might look very different than that of young people who are stably housed. Charlotte and I know first-hand how not having a stable home can impact everything from how well you do in school, to if you can make it to school at all. Housing shapes employment options, one’s capacity to meet employer demands, one’s mental health and more.
The role of public libraries in supporting their community, especially vulnerable persons is nothing new. For people experiencing homelessness, libraries provide relief during times of extreme weather, a place to relax, connect and receive supports. Libraries can function as enriched spaces by offering opportunities to spend the day unnoticed by others, and legitimating their presence in prime rather than marginal spaces.