The federal budget consultation process is accepting briefs from individuals and community organizations until August 14th. This is a great opportunity to speak out for EI reform and pensions.

The deadline to submit a written brief is August 14, 2009 and they can be sent to Jean-Francois Page, Clerk of the Standing Committee on Finance, at [email protected].

Prime working age men are bearing the brunt of Canada's recession, says a new report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. According to the report, 71% of those who have lost their jobs in the recession so far are men.

The income gap between the rich and the rest of us keeps growing, in good times and in bad. Learn more about it in this video from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

Housing Network of Ontario Update

Low-income tenants and affordable housing advocates raised their voices in support of a meaningful, long-term plan to address the housing crisis in Ontario at four consultations held in the past week in Scarborough, downtown Toronto and Ottawa. Housing Network of Ontario members and supporters came out in force, with capacity crowds at each of the housing consultation meetings.

Minister Watson listened as participants shared their stories of housing insecurity and what is needed from the province’s upcoming long-term affordable housing strategy. People explained that long waiting lists for social housing need to be reduced, affordable units that are appropriate to accommodate people with disabilities and larger families need to be built, both social housing and private market rental units need to be repaired and properly maintained, a housing benefit or allowance needs to be offered to tenants to close the gap between low-incomes and rising rents, social housing priority lists should be expanded to include equity seeking groups, residential tenancy laws should be strengthened to prevent unaffordable rent increases and better protect low income tenants in the private market, among many suggestions.

From the Workers Action Centre

The Ministry of Labour announced in April that it would be introducing legislation this fall to regulate recruitment agencies and fees charged to live-in caregivers and foreign temporary workers. This announcement is in response to the extensive media attention that caregivers got in the Toronto Star and elsewhere exposing the outrageous fees of $5,000 to $10,000 that agencies are charging caregivers and other foreign workers for jobs in Ontario. Workers also exposed patterns of passports being seized, bogus job scams and working conditions way below minimum standards.

Founded by the Riverdale Immigrant Women’s Entreprise, the Riverdale Hub which opened last Thursday, offers an innovative and affordable workspace to progressive organizations & individuals.

The City of Toronto is pleased to announce the release of Request For Proposals (RFP No.9155-09-7107) to help implement the Youth Gang Prevention Pilot Project (YGPPP).

The project is a three (3) year pilot that will focus on increasing awareness of the risk factors associated with youth gangs and provide support to gang involved and youth at-risk for gang involvement in the northwest area of Toronto. The YGPPP will strengthen protective factors by working collaboratively with parents, schools and the community to provide the maximum possible intervention strategies for neighbourhood youth. The project is administered by the City, and is partially funded by Public Safety Canada's National Crime Prevention Centre.

A plethora of drawings and documents provide the reporting on the ONN Forum from May 27th and 28th where 120 people worked towards the creation of a cross-sectoral agenda of our top priority issues.

Imagine Canada, Volunteer Canada, and the HR Council for the Voluntary and Non-Profit Sector have been working together to create a standards program for Canada's charities and nonprofit organizations and facilitating access to promising practices in the areas of governance, human resources (paid and unpaid), and financial accountability.

On August 19, 2009 (English) and September 22, 2009 (French) they will be hosting web conferences from 1:00-2:00pm EDT so that interested organizations can learn more about the Standards Program.

Register for the web conference.

Credit: Ontario Nonprofit Network

This manual from the Caledon Institute was developed to help guide community practitioners and government officials who are working to design policy solutions to complex problems in place-based interventions. [PDF]