Media enquiries

All media enquiries should be directed to:

Lisa Ferguson
Communications Coordinator, Social Planning Toronto
416-351-0095 ext. 227
lferguson@socialplanningtoronto.org

About Social Planning Toronto

Social Planning Toronto is a non-profit community organization that works to improve equity, social justice and quality of life in Toronto. Social Planning Toronto is committed to building a "Civic Society" one in which diversity, equity, social and economic justice, interdependence and active participation are central to all aspects of our lives - in our families, neighbourhoods, voluntary and recreational activities, and in our politics.

Established officially in 1957, Social Planning Toronto has spent more than 60 years providing critical social research and reporting, community capacity-building and engagement as well as evidence based advocacy for Toronto and its communities.

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SPT (and coalitions we belong to) in the news

2021

• 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