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Full House to Save the City’s Housing and Homeless Support Services

Posted on 28. Nov, 2011 by Jeremy.

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Check out the videos from this event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBocAn4v9l0 ( part 1 of 8 )

One hundred residents filled the gym of St. Stephen’s Community House to discuss the fate of affordable housing and homeless support programs in the City budget at the “Housing, Homelessness and the City Budget” public meeting on Thursday, November 24. Hosted by Housing Action Now (HAN) and co-organized by Social Planning Toronto, the event was moderated by HAN co-chair Barb Hurd with Kensington Bellwoods Community Legal Services. Speakers included Beth Wilson (Social Planning Toronto), Linsey MacPhee (Toronto Drop-In Network), Susan Gapka (Tenants for Social Housing), Joy Connelly (openingthewindow.com), Phil Nazar (Toronto Christian Resource Centre) and Michael Shapcott (Wellesley Institute).

HAN co-chair Beth Wilson with Social Planning Toronto kicked off the night with an overview of the City’s role in developing affordable housing, ensuring tenant rights and supporting homeless people, a recap of the housing-related cuts from the 2011 budget and a discussion of the budget process for 2012. Beth’s presentation is available at www.socialplanningtoronto.org.

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City Budget Watch 2011 updates can be found here

Posted on 25. Nov, 2011 by Jeremy.

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This is an archive of last year’s City Budget process updates, written by Beth Wilson.

To catch up on the 2012 City Budget process, Click here.…

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Hardship Fund on the chopping block (The Toronto Star)

Posted on 24. Nov, 2011 by Jeremy.

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by Laurie Monsebraaten, Social Justice Reporter

Shirley Schillinger has been confined to a lumpy, cockroach-infested bed since June.

But this week, the gregarious 69-year-old pensioner, who is in chronic pain from multiple neck and back surgeries, is resting a little easier.

Thanks to Toronto’s Hardship Fund, Schillinger received a hospital bed with a special air mattress that prevents bedsores. It also has an electric lift that allows her to raise and lower her head and feet with the flick of a switch.

It means she can now sit up to watch TV and snack on bread and cheese from her bedside table during the long days she spends alone between morning and evening visits from a home-care nurse.

More crucially, the $3,500 bed allows Schillinger to remain in her downtown Toronto apartment with her beloved cat, Benson. And it will reduce the risk that she will end up in hospital at $1,000 a day or be forced to move into a $150-a-day nursing home.

Schillinger is one of about 1,300 low-income Toronto seniors and disabled people with serious medical needs who benefit from the $900,000 city fund every year. But city council voted 23-22 last month to consider axing the fund as part of its efforts to shave $360 million from next year’s budget.

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Check out Social Planning Toronto’s Soundbites e-Bulletin for November 15, 2011

Posted on 15. Nov, 2011 by Jeremy.

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This issue:

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Register for the November 24th Housing Action Now Public Forum on Housing, Homelessness and the City Budget

Posted on 04. Nov, 2011 by Jeremy.

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Housing, Homelessness and the City Budget
Thursday, November 24 from 6:30-8:30 PM

St. Stephen’s Community House
91 Bellevue Avenue in the Gym
(south of College, between Spadina and Bathurst)
On Thursday, November 24, Housing Action Now will host a Public Forum on the City of Toronto’s role in:

Creating and maintaining affordable housing
Providing emergency shelter, and
Supporting tenants and homeless people

Find out what’s at stake in the 2012 City budget and how you can get involved.

Speakers:

Michael Shapcott, Wellesley Institute
Beth Wilson, Social Planning Toronto
More to be confirmed

To register click here.

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