The Calgary Homeless Foundation has just released a 12-city scan of homelessness planning during COVID. It’s a national study (which I authored). My ‘top 10’ overview of the study can be found here.
Continue readingTag: Poverty
The Progressive Economics Forum: Lifting singles out of poverty in canada
I’ve written a report for the Institute for Research on Public Policy about social assistance—specifically, about social assistance for employable single adults without dependants. A ‘top 10’ overview of the report can be found here.
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Money Cannot Buy Happiness But …
They say money cannot buy happiness but it certainly can buy food and shelter and education that can make the difference between misery and happiness, not to mention that health is directly related to economic status. Yet people still claim people are poor because they are lazy and all we
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Eric Dolan reports on new research showing the connection between a sense of entitlement and a refusal to take basic steps to protect public health in a pandemic. And Francine Kapun reports on the Peel region’s move to fine employers who don’t put
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday #skvotes Links
While advance voting continues to shatter Saskatchewan’s previous records, there’s plenty of new information for people still making their decision. – Julia Peterson reports on Elections Saskatchewan’s warning that the tens of thousands of mail-in ballots won’t be counted until after election day – meaning that many results could remain
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday #skvotes Links
Nearly 63,000 voters have applied for mail-in balloting packages, and those who haven’t are being encouraged to go to advance polls over the course of this week. So with many people casting their ballots, let’s take a look at the latest from Saskatchewan’s provincial election campaign. – Ashleigh Mattern reports
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday #skvotes Links
The latest news and notes from Saskatchewan’s 2020 election campaign. – Nicholas Frew reports that a majority of Saskatchewan’s voters are willing to fund a reduction in class sizes. And PressProgress highlights how Scott Moe is insisting that the public health measures required in every other indoor space be waived
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On diverging paths
Tonight’s Saskatchewan leadership debate will include plenty of back-and-forth as to whether we should vote for a better government, or settle for staying the course. And in answering that question, it’s worth taking a look at exactly what the status quo involves. Back when Scott Moe was threatening a spring
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Social assistance: Do higher benefit levels lead to higher caseloads?
As part of my PhD thesis, I did some statistical analysis in which I asked the question: “Do higher social assistance benefit levels lead to higher caseloads?” I have recently updated the data and had it published in a journal. Here’s a short summary of the journal article’s main findings.
Continue readingAlex's Blog: Review of Hugh Segal’s Bootstraps Need Boots
Hugh Segal has written an engaging personal and political memoir and plea for basic income. Here’s my review in Alberta Views.
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Homelessness in canada could rise due to recession
I am currently writing a report for Employment and Social Development Canada looking at the long-term impact of the current recession on homelessness. It should be ready by early November. In the meantime, a teaser blog post I’ve just written on the same topic is available here.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Thomas Christopher Lange studies (PDF) the costs and effects of two dental care options, and concludes Canada would be best served with a universal dental care system. And Colleen Floyd and Jane Philpott highlight how increased reliance on private payments would do
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Lessons We Must Learn From COVID-19 to Build a Better Society
Community is the key to the future. Those societies that are fairing best in responding to COVID 19 are those with a strong sense of community. America’s dismal response is not just because of Trump, but also due to the country’s overemphasis on individualism over community. Our public health care
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Joel Blit, Chuanmo Jin and Mikal Skuterud point out the importance of thinking ahead and being strategic in determining what activities are permitted or encouragement in the face of a pandemic. – David Lieb examines how businesses were allowed to dictate U.S. reopenings,
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Trudeau government should spend more on affordable housing and homelessness
On July 21, the Alternative Federal Budget Recovery Plan was released. The document aims to provide public policy direction to Canada’s federal government, in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic. I was author of the Recovery Plan’s chapter on affordable housing and homelessness, which can be accessed here.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Allison Hanes reminds us that there is no escaping the reality of COVID-19 – and any attempt to take a vacation from the measures needed to keep people safe will only ensure that it does more damage. John Michael McGrath argues that Ontario
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – T.M. Scanlon analyzes the dangerous effects of wealth inequality. And Philip Alston discusses how COVID-19 has only exposed an existing pandemic of poverty and inequality which was previously masked by grossly insufficient poverty lines: The consequences of this highly unrealistic picture of
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Don Pittis writes about the emptiness of any discussion of energy options which doesn’t account for the importance of averting a climate breakdown. – Somini Sengupta discusses the deadly effects of unprecedented wildfires in the Arctic region, while Nadine Achoui-Lesage and Frank Jordans
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Ari Rabin-Havt argues that any available means of treating COVID-19 need to be viewed as public goods to be made available to all, rather than windfalls for big pharma based on its ability to control supplies and prices. – The Guardian’s editorial board
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Afternoon Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Lee Stevens writes that the coronavirus pandemic has exposed longstanding weaknesses in our social safety net which have caused large amounts of avoidable poverty: A generation ago, our income support and social service programs were working (albeit not perfect) since it was possible
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