Social Planning Toronto will be hosting two virtual workshops this month to provide individuals, community leaders, local groups, and service providers with tools and tips to engage in productive conversations around homelessness. Learn more and register: www.socialplanningtoronto.org/events

Last year, food bank visits in Toronto reached an all-time high of 4.1 million. 88% of survey respondents live in unaffordable housing. Nearly half (46%) of survey respondents reported that at least one person in their household is employed. Read more: www.dailybread.ca/research-and...

SPT is one of many non-profits and charities to sign onto an open letter calling on funders to commit to and demonstrate trust-based philanthropic funding practices: www.tamarackcommunity.ca/articles/ope...

New proposed provincial legislation would strip away key tenant protections, fast-track evictions, and open the door to ending rent control as we know it in Ontario. Tell Queen's Park: Don't end rent control acorncanada.org/take_action/...

Bill 60 is outrageous in a province already inundated with mass homelessness. It further limits justice for tenants at the LTB, expedites evictions, and further incentivizes Landlord's Own Use evictions by slashing compensation to tenants. Unconscionable! news.ontario.ca/en/release/1...

In particular, they want leases to no longer necessarily remain in effect indefinitely, so that landlords have more options for creating tenant turnover. Current situation in left-hand column, proposal on the right:

The cost of inaction on poverty far outweighs any investment required to address it. Every dollar spent on social programs, income supports, and targeted benefits is dwarfed by the long-term consequences of poverty. www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...

Freeze the rent! Raise the rates! Join SPT and community partners this Thursday, Oct. 23 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Queen's Park as we demand the province enact a rent freeze and raise the rates of ODSP and OW. Learn more: www.noticenorthyork.ca/queensparkon...

On Tuesday October 28 at 7pm, join Workers Action Centre online for the launch of their new report, The Crisis of Wage Theft in Ontario. This report exposes how widespread the problem is and what needs to change. RSVP here: workersactioncentre.org/new-report-o...

SPT has partnered with community activist Diana Chan McNally to create TALKING ABOUT HOMELESSNESS, a free guide to help organizations and individuals develop strong, positive messaging around homelessness and shelters: www.socialplanningtoronto.org/talking_abou...

From the #LocalArchives: The Annex is shrinking. The towers of Crescent Town are exploding. @simonlewsen.bsky.social on a tale of two cities, and how the uneven, illogical densification pattern of the last 50 years created today’s Toronto. thelocal.to/density-the-...

Toronto's inclusionary zoning bylaw, which requires certain developments to include affordable housing units, was supposed to take effect in 2022. Yet due to the province's interference with local democracy, it has been delayed by nearly three years: www.socialplanningtoronto.org/inclusionary...

Some Toronto residents have opposed proposed shelter sites for being too close to parks, daycares, and "family-friendly" neighbourhoods. The reality is, thousands of Toronto children (and their caregivers) are themselves unhoused. Read our latest op-ed: www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...

The Etobicoke-Lakeshore Shelter Support Coalition invites curious neighbours to learn together about issues of homelessness via a series of free workshops. Learn more: www.eventbrite.com/e/unhoused-p...

Here are fact-checked biographies and election platform summaries for every candidate running for Ward 25—Scarborough–Rouge Park in the September 29, 2025 by-election. thelocal.to/srp2025/ @TheLocal_TO

A new analysis of provincial data reveals deep inequities in Ontario’s employment services, with social assistance recipients consistently faring worse than other job seekers. Read the full policy brief from Maytree Canada: maytree.com/publications...

Join the Toronto Chinatown Land Trust at the People’s Assembly on Planning! On August 28, TCLT will be developing a Chinatown People’s Planning Policy which respond to the City of Toronto’s ongoing Chinatown Planning Study. Free; RSVP required: www.eventbrite.com/e/peoples-as...

“In Parkdale and across the downtown, the cost of housing has become unbearable for so many residents we serve, so many people here who spend 100 per cent of their monthly income on housing, which really leaves nothing for other essentials." www.torontotoday.ca/local/health...

Toronto has 1500+ public parks and hundreds of recreation facilities. The City of Toronto is seeking community feedback on their 20-year Parkland Strategy and Parks and Recreation Facilities Plan. The survey is open until September 14: ca.mar.medallia.com?e=461983&d=l...

Friends, you've got a few more hours to register for today's panel as part of the The Big Power Grab Series to learn more about Bills 6, 17, and 33! Join us, Diana, Yaroslava, and Ahona to talk through these important pieces of legislation! 1/2

The City of Toronto is seeking individuals who have lived experience with poverty to join the third cohort of the Lived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG). Applications close August 8. Learn more: www.toronto.ca/city-governm...

This is crucial infrastructure that tens of thousands of Torontonians depend on daily. Thank you to @ttcriders.bsky.social for all your advocacy and mobilizing around this issue.

No matter what they’re called, you should know your rights if you’re stopped by a fare inspector, provincial offences officer, or police while on the TTC: www.ttcriders.ca/rights

Per the latest data, 15,418 Torontonians are experiencing homelessness, with 1,604 people sleeping outside. The City intends to open 20 new shelters, with the first 6 underway. Let your elected representatives know you support these plans: www.progresstoronto.ca/petition-tac...

"The number of homeless people in Toronto more than doubled over three and a half years, soaring to over 15,400 as of last fall, new city data shows. ...roughly 10% of them, or 1,615, were living outdoors." #ToPoli

On July 9, @ttcriders is hosting a training session where you can learn how to speak to City Council to advocate for dedicated transit lanes! Learn more: www.ttcriders.ca/shifts

Our 2024/2025 Annual Report is here! See what we've been up to this last year, including publishing an updated child & family poverty report, organizing a panel series on poverty reduction, engaging the public around the city budget process, and more: www.socialplanningtoronto.org/annual_reports

SPT joins partners in calling on the Province to reverse the disastrous policy decision restricting HART Hubs from sterile needle and syringe distribution. These programs are a crucial part of our public health infrastructure, and they must be maintained: www.hivlegalnetwork.ca/site/25032/

The City of Toronto is planning to open up 20 new shelter sites by 2033. In-person community consultations will be held next week in Scarborough and Etobicoke around two of these sites. This is a great opportunity to show your support.

#onpoli gov released school funding numbers: + Per-student funding still below 2018-19 + Provincial funding gap grows to $6.35 bi + TDSB cumulative funding gap: $919M + OCDSB cumulative funding gap: $337M +TCDSB cumulative funding gap: 273M www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...

The Bubble Zone Bylaw has been passed. Here's what you need to know about your right to protest: www.socialplanningtoronto.org/the_bubble_z...

We're hiring! Social Planning Toronto is looking for a full-time (35 hours per week) Director of Research, Policy and Communications. See the full listing: www.socialplanningtoronto.org/careers

Tomorrow, Toronto City Council will consider a bylaw that would limit where protests are allowed to take place. Social Planning Toronto and 66 other organizations co-signed a letter expressing our concerns while the bylaw was still being drafted: www.socialplanningtoronto.org/bubble_zone_...

Want to help us send a message to Doug Ford to commit to housing, not jails, for homeless people? Join our Bill 6 phone / email zap this Thursday at noon, co-hosted by SURJ Toronto and TOPS. To join the zap, register here: tinyurl.com/surjBill6

Are you a frontline drop-in worker in Toronto? Consider joining our Workers Leadership Table. The WLT is part of a larger project focused on advocating fairness for sector workers. An honorarium will be provided. Contact mchoubak at socialplanningtoronto dot org for more information.

I wrote to City Council about a "Bubble Zone" by-law. Pluralism and the rights to freedom of assembly and expression are vital to a health democracy. A by-law that restricts these would be unconstitutional, and would further restrict democratic participation for homeless people.

Join our Board of Directors! Social Planning Toronto is currently seeking 3 volunteers who are committed to working towards social and economic justice and a more equitable Toronto. Applications are due by May 19. Learn more: www.socialplanningtoronto.org/join_our_boa...

As Supervised Consumption Sites Close, People Are Hurting www.thegrindmag.ca/as-supervise...

Bill 6, introduced by the province, treats homeless people like criminals. It proposes six months of jail time and an impossible $10,000 fine for homeless people living outdoors. You can use this form to e-mail your MP telling them to rescind Bill 6: win.newmode.net/encampmentju...

Punishing encampment residents instead of providing the housing people need costs more than anyone wants to pay — ethically, morally, and fiscally. In Ontario, we can’t afford to import this cruel American approach. SPT co-signs this letter. docs.google.com/document/d/1...

We heard there was interest in building A Better City. We’ve compiled some of our favourite tips on how to create a city that works for everyone for budding activists at every commitment level. www.socialplanningtoronto.org/bettercity2025

Join our Board of Directors! Social Planning Toronto is currently seeking 3 volunteers who are committed to working towards social and economic justice and a more equitable Toronto. Applications are due by May 19. Learn more: www.socialplanningtoronto.org/join_our_boa...

Today is election day! Check out our resources and factsheets to help you make an informed decision at the polls: www.socialplanningtoronto.org/federalelect...

Canada heads to the polls on April 28. We've created factsheets on three key issues—housing, immigration, and poverty—to help you make an informed decision when voting. The factsheets are available in Tamil, Simplified Chinese, Bengali, and Arabic. www.socialplanningtoronto.org/federalelect...

"According to some estimates, one quarter of opioid overdoses across Canada are linked to the construction industry. The ongoing attacks against harm reduction in Canada are making things worse for these workers." www.torontotoday.ca/local/opinio...

Marginalized groups have long used their fundamental freedoms to advocate for social and policy changes that we now hold dear. Read our latest op-ed in @TorontoStar, written in collaboration with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...

Canada heads to the polls on April 28. We've created factsheets on three key issues—housing, immigration, and poverty—to help you make an informed decision when voting. The factsheets are available in Tamil, Simplified Chinese, Bengali, and Arabic. www.socialplanningtoronto.org/federalelect...

"In Toronto, there are now more than 100,000 households waiting for subsidized housing, plus tens of thousands more individuals waiting for affordable homes with supports." www.thestar.com/real-estate/...