Media enquiries

All media enquiries should be directed to:

Lisa Ferguson
Communications Coordinator, Social Planning Toronto
416-351-0095 ext. 227
[email protected]

About Social Planning Toronto

Established officially in 1957, Social Planning Toronto is a non-profit community organization that provides critical social research and reporting, community capacity-building and engagement, and evidence-based advocacy for Toronto and its communities.

Social Planning Toronto challenges inequity in our city — through knowledge generation, debate, civic engagement, advocacy, and collaboration — to spark social and policy change.

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SPT (and coalitions we belong to) in the news

2021

• Toronto council has a choice: create affordable housing or protect profits for developers, North York Mirror, Nov. 5
• A plan to force developers to build more cheap rentals is a game changer. But does Toronto have the stomach for it?, The Toronto Star, Nov. 2
• Toronto wants up to 22 per cent of new condos to be affordable. Is it leaving homes on the table?, The Toronto Star, Oct. 27
• Op-Ed: John Tory’s chance to be an affordable housing champion, NOW Magazine, Oct. 4
• Want a one-bedroom in this Mount Pleasant community housing building? You’d have had to apply in 1985 — and it’s not an anomaly, The Toronto Star, Aug. 7
• The militarized assault on Toronto's homeless people continues, rabble.ca, July 20
• Affordable housing and the IZ debate, Toronto Sun, July 15
• Toronto has the chance to create affordable housing, improving thousands of lives, The Toronto Star, May 26
• Higher tax on luxury home sales would ease housing crisis, NOW Magazine, Feb. 17
• ‘Tired of the word resilience’: Canada’s racialized communities navigate ongoing pandemic, Global News, Feb. 14
• COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution, CTV News Toronto, Feb. 11
• Community services web portal a stopgap on road to central Etobicoke hub, Toronto.com, Jan. 28
• Community Groups Want The TPS To Reallocate $340 Million & Change Who Responds To 911, Narcity, Jan. 4
• Adding civilian services could defund Toronto police by 25 per cent, report finds, CTV News, Jan. 4
• Up to $340M could be diverted from Toronto police with civilian services to handle calls instead: report, CP24, Jan. 4
• Civil rights group urges Toronto to reallocate more than $250M spent on police, CBC News, Jan. 4
• BLM report demands $340M funding cut for Toronto police, True North, Jan. 4

2020

• Bolder, quicker, more inclusive: How Toronto city hall could adapt to a post-pandemic world, CBC News, Dec. 16
• Social Planning Toronto Report: Racialized groups in housing crisis, The Philippine Reporter, Dec. 4
• York collaborates on research that highlights disparities of Toronto housing crisis, YFile, Nov. 20
• Three times more racialized renters live in overcrowded housing in Toronto than non-racialized renters — and the starkest gap is among those born in Canada, study says, The Toronto Star, Nov. 17
• Crise du logement à Toronto : le surpeuplement touche 3 fois plus les locataires racisés, Radio-Canada Ontario, Nov. 17
• Toronto’s Racialized and Immigrant Communities Hardest Hit By Housing Crisis, Toronto Storeys, Nov. 17
• Ontario budget doesn’t do enough for those on low-income and non-profits, NOW Magazine, Nov. 8
• There’s no such thing as affordable housing in Toronto, NOW Magazine, Nov. 5
• COVID Stories: A conversation with Social Planning Toronto, MCIS Language Solutions' blog, July 9
• As we restart life in our cities, being inclusive is key, The Globe and Mail, June 11
• ‘We cannot return to what was normal’: Rebuild Toronto with ‘green and just’ recovery plan, say activists, The Toronto Star, Apr 29
• Charitable sector gradually adjusting to a new regulatory world that allows unlimited engagement in public policy dialogue, The Philanthropist, Mar. 30
• Imagine if Toronto 'had not been starved of resources for the past decade', Toronto.com, Feb. 14
• Canadian athletes with Asian parents explain their love for sports, The Huffington Post, Jan. 31
• Our choices will determine if we are Toronto the Good, The Toronto Star, Jan. 23
• Toronto's budget engagement process 'just a sham,' social advocate says, Toronto.com, Jan. 17
• Charter City: Inside Toronto's push to break free from provincial rule, NOW Magazine, Jan. 15
• Opportunities have been lost by limiting property tax hikes, The Toronto Star, Jan. 11
• In the end, we must pay for the Toronto we want, The Toronto Star, Jan. 9
• Proposal for more real estate taxes is expected to heat up Toronto’s budget debate, The Toronto Star, Jan. 9
• This is how bad Toronto's housing market got over the decade, blogTO, Jan. 9
• Toronto’s social housing waitlist has grown more than 50% in last decade, Toronto Storeys, Jan. 9
• Toronto is now paying the price for a decade of low property taxes, report says, The Toronto Star, Jan. 8
• How Toronto's housing market has changed in the last decade: report, Daily Hive, Jan. 8

2019

• Analysis: Why does Toronto still need food banks in 2019?, Toronto.com, Nov. 27
• Toronto council to consider anti-poverty plan that includes expanding TTC discounts, The Toronto Star, Nov. 6
• Toronto committee tasked with rethinking city's governance may wind down. Advocates say it just started, The Toronto Star, Oct. 31
• Residents rally for affordable housing at Bloor and Dundas, City News, Oct. 28
• North Scarborough getting shortchanged by city despite high need, report shows, The Toronto Star, Oct. 15
• Central Etobicoke residents one step closer to getting a community hub, Toronto.com, Oct. 1
• A group of Central Etobicoke residents are organizing to get a community hub, The Toronto Star, Sept. 16
• Scarborough legal aid cuts are meant to muzzle the poor, clinics say, Toronto.com, July 3
• Students should not be classified by grades, Focus Cantonese, OMNI News, June 12
• Scarborough legal clinics say provincial cuts will hurt the vulnerable, Toronto.com, May 22
• Parkdale advocate honoured for two decades of community work, Toronto.com, May 21
• Councillor calling for return of Toronto's car tax, saying it could fund transit, road work, CBC News, Mar. 7
• Toronto will raise property taxes or it will keep crumbling, The Globe and Mail, Mar. 6
• Here's how much more you could pay in property taxes in 2019 — and where that money might go, CBC News, Mar. 5
• Toronto needs to pick up the pace to make good on prosperity promises, Toronto.com, Mar. 1
• Toronto council falling behind on election pledges to reduce poverty, report finds, The Toronto Star, Feb. 26
• Scarborough needs rooming houses, but they must be legal, advocates say, Toronto.com, Feb. 13
• Solutions for the affordable housing crisis in Scarborough, The Discourse Scarborough, Feb. 7
• 'It's low-hanging fruit': Scarborough housing advocates call for legalized, regulated rooming houses, CBC News, Feb. 5
• Our choices will determine if we are Toronto the Good, The Toronto Star, Jan. 24
• Despite new labour rules, some Ontario employers are boosting minimum wage, keeping paid sick days, The Globe and Mail, Jan. 1

2018

• Year In Review 2018: A grim year for Toronto's poor, NOW Magazine, Dec. 28
• Could 'Pop Up Infrastructure' Benefit Places in Halton?, inhalton.com, Nov. 2
• RAW guides pilot for pop-up infrastructure in Toronto’s inner suburbs, Canadian Architect, Oct. 25
• Why Toronto Centre has the city’s highest rate of child poverty, Ryersonian, Oct. 18
• Toronto Canada’s child poverty capital, organization pushes candidates to face problem, Sing Tao Daily, Oct. 2
• Child poverty plagues every corner of Toronto, census data shows, The Toronto Star, Oct. 1
• Child poverty plagues every corner of Toronto, but activists like Neil Donaldson are fighting for change, Star Metro Toronto, Oct. 1
• Have Mayor Tory and Council Delivered on Poverty Reduction?, The Toronto Star, Aug. 10
• Toronto is fired up over Doug Ford's plans for city hall, National Observer, Aug. 9
• Cutting size of Toronto council called 'undemocratic', Toronto.com, July 31
• Nearly 5% of Toronto population can’t speak English or French: report, Global News, July 9
• 1 in 20 Toronto residents do not speak either of Canada’s official languages, Zoomer Radio, July 9
• One in 20 people in Toronto does not understand English/French, nearly half of them are Chinese, Sing Tao Daily, July 9
• Full of immigrants who cannot speak English: 1 in 20 Toronto residents have language barrier, The Korea Times Daily, July 9
• Lost for words: One in every 20 Torontonians can’t speak English or French, study finds, The Toronto Star, July 8

2017

• Repurposed shipping containers are the latest affordable space trend, but city planning policies need to catch up, NOW Magazine, Aug. 17
• Middle class Torontonians feeling the squeeze, Beach Mirror, March 2
• Faith leaders set up mock shelter in city hall to protest budget cuts, InsideToronto.com, Feb. 15
• Protesters bash Gardiner-shaped piñata to highlight funding priorities, The Toronto Star, Feb. 15
• Toronto city council approves 2% property tax increase, CBC News, Feb. 15
• Budget de Toronto : la Gardiner Expressway devrait-elle être une priorité?, Radio Canada, Feb. 15
• Toronto a des difficultés à répondre aux beoins des quartier en plen essor, Radio Canada, Feb. 13
• Shelter homeless from the cold: Editorial, The Toronto Star, Jan. 31
• Activists urge city council to create more shelter space, The Toronto Star, Jan. 31
• TDSB should be ashamed of how it balances budget: Keenan, The Toronto Star, Jan. 16
• Grant for needy kids should be used as intended: Editorial, The Toronto Star, Jan. 15
• Almost half of money earmarked for low income students being diverted by TDSB: Report, City News, Jan. 12
• Millions in funding for low-income students rerouted to cover budget shortfall: Report, CTV News, Jan. 12
• Millions in funding for vulnerable students being diverted to other expenses: Report, CP24, Jan. 12
• Millions in grants for needy students aren’t getting to them, report says, The Toronto Star, Jan. 12
• TDSB diverts $61M from provincial funding grant for marginalized students: Report, Global News, Jan. 12
• TDSB gets millions in funding for low-income students, but isn’t spending it on them: Report, CBC News, Jan. 12

2016

• Toronto’s budget gaps affect the City’s most vulnerable, Torontoist, Dec. 23
• Toronto’s draft budget no good for the homeless or seniors, forum hears, InsideToronto.com, Dec. 19
• City of Toronto’s 2017 preliminary budget unveiled, CBC News, Dec. 6
• Toronto road tolls, championed by Mayor John Tory, OK’d at executive committee, CBC News, Dec. 1
• Cost of poverty in Toronto pegged at $5.5 billion a year, The Toronto Star, Nov. 28
• Poverty is expensive, Vice Money, Nov. 28
• Poverty is costing Toronto billions a year, report says, CBC News, Nov. 28
• Poverty costs Toronto more than $4.4B annually: Report, Global News, Nov. 28
• Mayor Tory’s road toll pitch praised as bold move, The Toronto Star, Nov. 24
• Proposed budget cuts will hurt city’s most vulnerable, advisory groups tell Mayor Tory, The Toronto Star, Nov. 22
• East York children suffer as Toronto remains child poverty capital, The Toronto Observer, Nov. 22
• Here’s what the City’s poverty eradication plan has accomplished in one year, Torontoist, Nov. 16
• As the child poverty capital of the country, Toronto must invest in kids: Editorial, The Toronto Star, Nov. 15
• Toronto maintains status as “child poverty capital” of Canada: Study, 630 CHED (Edmonton), Nov. 14
• Interview with report co-author Michael Polanyi, Metro Morning, Nov. 14
• Kids suffer most as Toronto clings to title of child poverty capital, The Toronto Star, Nov. 14
• Toronto still “child poverty capital” of Canada, warns report, CBC News, Nov. 14
• Toronto has highest child-poverty rate of Canadian cities: Report, The Globe and Mail, Nov. 14
• Toronto named the child poverty capital of Canada, Radio Canada International, Nov. 14
• Toronto remains “child poverty capital” of Canada, report finds, CTV News, Nov. 14
• Toronto's faith leaders unite to push for action on poverty, CTV News, Oct. 18
• Toronto Vital Signs report points to growing gap between rich and poor, Toronto Metro, Oct. 5
• TTC faces perform storm with costs rising, ridership slumping, The Toronto Star, July 25
• Budget needs to tackle widening “fairness gap,” Toronto Sun, July 10
• Toronto business sectors warn councilors not to target them with new taxes, The Toronto Star, June 29