2025 is already promising to be a year of change. Headlines have been dominated by the news that Justin Trudeau has stepped down as Prime Minister. Canada will have an election this year, and there is a significant chance that Ontario will have one as well. Both will be consequential to the people of Toronto; the City depends on federal and provincial funding to support key programs, including transit, housing, childcare, and supports for newcomers. SPT will provide resources and tools to help you make an informed choice in the leadup to the elections.
In the meantime, we at SPT are focused on the 2025 City Budget, which will be brought to a vote at City Council on February 11. Through the budget process, Toronto City Council makes important decisions about critical programs, services, and infrastructure. The proposed budget was released on Monday. You can read SPT Senior Researcher Beth Wilson’s initial analysis.
The best way to stay up-to-date on our budget coverage is by signing up for our City Budget Watch e-mail updates, which will include news, analysis, important updates, and a recap of our City Budget Watch Blog. Unlike this newsletter, which is published monthly, our City Budget Watch e-mail will go out as often as necessary between now and the end of the budget process. You can also check our calendar for event updates. In the coming days, we will have a Budget Town Hall (January 16), Housing Deputation Workshop for Renters (January 17), and a general Deputation Training (January 20). These events are free, though registration is required. You can help keep our events free and accessible by making a donation.
Learn other ways you can get involved and share your input with our City Budget Resources page, and check out the workshops our partners at Progress Toronto are hosting.
In this issue:
Toronto Must Act on Ombudsman’s Recommendations for Refugee Shelters
On December 12, Toronto Ombudsman Kwame Addo released a report that found that the City of Toronto’s decision to stop allowing (predominantly African) refugee claimants to access its base shelter beds was unfair, poorly planned, and inconsistent with its commitment to the human right to adequate housing. The ombudsman concluded that some asylum seekers were turned away from shelters even when beds were available
A week later, City Council voted to receive the report, meaning the ombudsman’s recommendations would be accepted but not adopted.
A coalition of community organizations, including Right to Housing Toronto, the African Canadian Collective, the Toronto Alliance to End Homelessness, and countless others, are urging the City to adopt the ombudsman’s recommendations, engage with impacted communities, and restore public trust. Social Planning Toronto supports these calls to action.
On January 9, The Association of Municipalities of Ontario published a report that found refugees and asylum seekers in the province have had a sixfold increase in chronic homelessness since 2020, and that overall a staggering 80,000 people in Ontario were homeless last year, a number that is predicted to more than triple by 2035 without meaningful intervention. Municipalities alone cannot solve the homelessness crisis. Actual affordable housing must be a priority in the upcoming provincial and federal elections.
Nominate a Community Champion Award
Nominations are now open for the Toronto Community Champion Award 2025, presented by the City of Toronto in partnership with United Way Greater Toronto. This award celebrates community organizations that make a positive impact on the health and well-being of Toronto’s residents, with a special focus on those serving Black, Indigenous, and other equity-deserving communities. Nominations are open until January 26, 2025. Learn more at the Toronto Community Champion Award webpage.
Provide Feedback: Transform TO
The City of Toronto is currently seeking public input on actions under consideration for the next Action Plan of the TransformTO Net Zero Strategy, which was originally approved by Toronto City Council in December 2021. The Net Zero Strategy has a community-wide target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, and the next Action Plan for the Strategy will cover the period 2026-2030. The public engagement period closes on January 31, 2025. Learn more on the TransformTO Net Zero Strategy Action Plan 2026-2030 public consultation website.
New Additions to SPT’s Staff
Social Planning Toronto is pleased to announce two new additions to our staff: Mel Choubak, Senior Researcher & Policy Analyst, and Mercedes Sharpe Zayas, Project Manager.
Mel Choubak is a social justice researcher, policy analyst, and educator with a PhD in Applied Social Psychology and a background in Education. Her work has advanced systemic change across non-profit, public, and corporate sectors, with a focus on improving policies, programs, and practices to support underrepresented and marginalized groups. Her leadership and contributions have advanced socio-economic justice by addressing employment inequities, lobbying for inclusive legislation, conducting workplace and institutional audits, and fostering systemic reform in ways that honour intersectional identities. Mel will be leading the Fairness for Shelter & Drop-in Workers project, funded through the Metcalf Foundation.
Mercedes Sharpe Zayas is a community planner committed to movement building and economic justice in the urban form. She cultivated her participatory planning practice as the Planning Coordinator for the Parkdale People’s Economy. She has also worked as a Lead Strategist with Evenings & Weekends Consulting, a Policy Research Intern at the City of Toronto’s Economic Development and Culture Division, a Research Assistant for the Metcalf Foundation’s Inclusive Local Economies Program, a Graduate Research Assistant with The Public Studio, a Consultant with the Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust, and a Co-Facilitator with the Power Lab. She holds a Master of Science in Urban Planning from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Arts in Honours Anthropology from McGill University. Mercedes will be leading SPT’s Community Wealth Building Initiative, a partnership with the Atkinson Foundation, aimed at mobilizing community leaders to strengthen and advance community wealth building practices across Toronto through shared learning and collective advocacy.
Welcome Mel and Mercedes!