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Addressing Homelessness & Poverty
Building Corporate Strategies to Combat Multidimensional Poverty
W Keira Kang Programme Coordinator, Social Sustainability, UN Global Compact Network Canada
Keira Kang
it h approx imately 2 3 5 ,0 0 0 C a n a d ia n s ex periencing home lessness and 1.2 billion people worldwide living in acute multidimensional poverty, Goal 1 of Ending Poverty in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is still far from being accomplished. Due to its multifaceted nature, poverty poses one of the greatest risks to human dignity and rights. Beyond limited income, poverty impairs one’s ability to obtain protection from violence, access health care, engage in collective bargaining, enjoy fair working conditions, and play an active role in workplaces, marketplaces, and communities. Not only that, but with forced labour being one of the most devastating implications of poverty, global studies reveal that roughly 86 per cent of modern slavery occurs in the private sector. Thus, business leaders, decision-makers, and investors must recognize the important role they play in combating corruption and scale up their contributions to the goal of poverty eradication. The UN Global Compact Network Canada believes that it’s the mission of every business to uphold and protect human and labour rights of all workers by detecting and preventing behaviours that exacerbate poverty traps. One way for leaders to enhance ethical business practices is by using the Poverty Footprint, a digital tool for corporations and civil society organizations to evaluate their impacts on multidimensional poverty. This guide, jointly created by the UN Global Compact and Oxfam, addresses a wide range of business practices that have a bearing on poverty, including value chains, local environmental practices, branding and product development, and macroeconomics. As a
comprehensive instrument that helps businesses collaborate with community leaders to bring about collective transformations, the Poverty Footprint guides business leaders in developing sustainable governance structures and competitive strategies against poverty without compromising corporate success.
Due to its multifaceted nature, poverty poses one of the greatest risks to human dignity and rights. Increased employment by itself can’t put an end to the current global crisis. 7.6 per cent of Canadians identify as working poor, which implies that even despite having jobs, workers frequently face unpredictable work schedules, little-to-no health benefits, precarious working conditions, and low job security. For visible minority groups in Canada, in particular, poor labour conditions and unemployment rates are much higher. A York University study found that Latin American and Caribbean workers in Toronto struggle to shift away from precarious to full-time, stable employment due to racialized systemic barriers. This hinders their overall ability to overcome income disparities and prioritize personal well-being and professional development. Although at least 70 per cent of trans and queer people in Ontario possess a post-secondary degree,
more than half are earning only around $15,000 per year. To ensure that anti-poverty frameworks doesn’t exclusively benefit white, heterosexual, able-bodied men, it’s important to apply an intersectional approach that takes into account the numerous social identities that compound one’s structural barriers in society. Workers facing intersectional systems of oppression have even fewer resources at the outset and require additional measures to guarantee their equal rights to socio-economic resources. Companies must proactively identify those who are the most vulnerable in their supply chains and operations as a mandatory component of their human rights due diligence process. Beyond providing employment alone, firms should provide decent work, which guarantees proper health and safety safeguards, fair living wages, reasonable working hours, and respect for human dignity and autonomy of each employee. Businesses are encouraged to take the UN Global Compact’s Decent Work Toolkit for Sustainable Procurement, which offers practical advice such as setting key performance indicators and communicating decent work priorities to suppliers to achieve social sustainability goals. Discover how the UN As Goal 8 of the SDGs states, the Global Compact can work of businesses in combating support your business at poverty requires a collective effort unglobalcompact.org. towards achieving “inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full This article was supported by the UN Global Compact. and productive employment, and decent work for all”, where one objective cannot be achieved without the fulfilment of the other. Our goal will be met once our leaders accept and put into practice the idea that community well-being and prosperity are inextricably linked to the long-term success of all businesses.
Joe Roberts Opens Up About His Lived Experience of Homelessness A Q&A with the Founder of The Push for Change Foundation and Inspirational Keynote Speaker What’s the advice you would give to anyone facing adversity? We’re so much more than the challenges we experience in life. It takes me back to a story in 1989 where I was on a park bench when I was visibly homeless, and this man name Gus looked and me and he said, “there’s more to you than you can see.” It was the first time that someone spoke to my possibility. The word that comes to mind when I think of adversity, challenge or change, is possibility, what’s on the other side of that?
Read the full interview with Joe Roberts on innovatingcanada.ca.
What does the general public need to understand about people living without a home? The first problem is that we label it as homelessness, its not homelessness. It’s mental health, it’s substance use disorder, it’s sexual abuse, it’s early childhood trauma, it’s generational poverty, it’s inclu-
sion, it’s a 1000 different things. We need to be empathically curious, to ask questions about what happened before this happened? We need to move the needle on empathy. We need to see the human in all of this, because it’s when we do this we can begin to address it for the public health crisis that it is.
If you could say one thing to the Canadian public about homelessness, what would it be? Be careful of what you see in the press, because it’s often not as it seems. The media drives narratives, and the homeless don’t have a voice. Somebody else has created the talking points in the narrative. It may be unintentional, but they don't have the true perspective of what is going on. Homelessness is used as a label to so many other complex things, you could say things like 'it could be you', or 'you're one paycheck from living on the streets', but there is no one thing. I believe that the solution is out there, and I believe that its waiting for dedicated, smart, impassioned people to step forward in possibility, and apply it.
Publisher: Chloe Zinn Business Development Manager: Sarah Ferreira Country Manager: Nina Theodorlis Content & Production Manager: Raymond Fan Production Lead: Michael Taylor Designer: Kylie Armishaw Lead Editor: Karthik Talwar All images are from Getty Images unless otherwise credited. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve The National Post or its editorial departments. Send all inquiries to ca.editorial@mediaplanet.com.
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More Than a Shelter: How the YMCA Helps Unhoused Youth Overcome Barriers The YMCA of Greater Toronto’s Wagner Green YMCA offers shelter and comprehensive, wrap-around supports to help youth experiencing homelessness transition to independent living. Tania Amardeil
O Nelson Borges Director of Youth Outreach and Intervention at the YMCA of Greater Toronto
ver 3,000 youth experience homelessness in the GTA every night. They need a warm meal and a safe place to stay at night, but they need more than that — they need comprehensive support, from mental health counselling to help finding work. The YMCA of Greater Toronto provides the tools these youth need to build a better life, all under one roof. At The Wagner Green YMCA, they find emergency shelter and immediate crisis support. But they can also access wrap-around services, such as mental health counselling, substance use referrals, assistance navigating legal issues, help finding long-term housing, and employment training.”
A holistic approach The Wagner Green YMCA is an 11,400 squarefoot emergency shelter and drop-in centre for youth experiencing homelessness. It’s a diverse and 2SLGBTQIA+ positive space serving the Queen West and Spadina community, and offering 40 shelter beds to youth aged 16 to 24 who identify as male. “The Wagner Green Y offers a range of support services,” says Nelson Borges, Director of Youth Outreach and Intervention at the YMCA of Greater Toronto. “We recognize that when you’re supporting people, you have to work from a holistic approach, and consider there are many different things going on for a young person.” Indeed, roughly 80 per cent of The Wagner Green YMCA’s visitors come from some type of family breakdown, whether
it’s violence, substance use issues, or mental health issues in the home, or 2SLGBTQIA+ youth coming out and being asked to leave. They need multifaceted supports, and The Wagner Green YMCA offers a range of services around employment counselling, substance use counselling, and auxiliary housing, as well as medical support, mental health support, identification clinics, legal services, and more. The idea is that after finding shelter and support at The Wagner Green Y, youth who were experiencing homelessness will be able to take a big leap and start living independently.
Cultivating belonging These wrap-around services — which are strengths-based and needs-driven, and represent a more intensive, individualized care management process — support youth for a longer period of time than many other shelters. The Wagner Green Y provides stability by addressing the root causes and obstacles that are preventing young people from living independently. “The Wagner Green YMCA is more than just a youth shelter,” says Borges. “Obviously, that’s a big piece that we offer, but what we really do here is cultivate a sense of belonging, connection, respect, and dignity for our young people.” As youth gain a sense of safety and start working through their traumas, they’re often then ready to move on to other goals, such as getting an education or finding a job, notes Borges. Once they’re ready to move out on their own, they may face additional
What we really do here is cultivate a sense of belonging, connection, respect, and dignity for our young people. barriers — like acquiring the household staples needed to get themselves set up in their new apartments, or everyday necessities like transit fare, groceries, and a cell phone. The YMCA supports youth during these transitions, ensuring they have the best possible chances of long-term success. For example, youth can access “moving kits” complete with household necessities like bedding, dishes, cutlery, and more to help them begin building their new lives in their new apartments.
Help youth leave homelessness behind and start their new lives by donating a moving kit today at ymcagta.org/ underoneroof. This article was sponsored by YMCA of Greater Toronto.
Ending Poverty Overseas Begins with Building Local Partnerships The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) addresses not just immediate needs but systemic ones rather, by supporting local partners to provide relief. Janice Tober
This is just one area in which the humanitarian organization works, however.
Getting to the root of an issue
A community member in Kenya demonstrates a new well next to a sand dam, made possible with PWRDF support.
I
n 2011, the world saw 38.54 million displaced people and refugees, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Compare that to 2021, when that number rose sharply to a staggering 89.32 million people. This number translates to 1 in every 88 people on earth having been forced to flee their home. And now, the war in Ukraine is making that number rise even higher. As bleak as this is, some agencies are making a difference.
Home is where the hope is The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) is one agency that fights the good fight, addressing not just the immediate needs of refugees but systemic ones as well. Will Postma is the Executive Director of PWRDF. “We support internally displaced peoples overseas by first ensuring they have safe transitional shelter,” Postma said. “And then we work with partners to resettle refugees in neighbouring countries. At the same time, we we work to support a safe and healthy return to their own homes.”
Ending poverty is considered foundational to all of PWRDF’s work. “Sometimes this means ensuring that ‘smallholder’ farmers have the right crops for their field,” Postma said. “Often, when we’re providing emergency food relief, we ensure that communities have seeds with which they can plant anew, that they have tools with which they can care for their fields, that they have knowledge that may be appropriate in their context to grow vegetables, fruit, or other kinds of staple crops so that poverty isn’t just addressed in the short term — there’s a mid-tolong-term response, an intentional response, in the design of a program.”
Local partnerships The agency believes that the best way to address local issues is to engage with local partners who understand the minutiae of the challenges being faced — this includes in Canada, working with a cross-country advisory committee of Indigenous leaders focused on Indigenous-led priorities. “Our local partners are the ones on the ground who understand the community context. They’re the ones who come up with innovative solutions,” stated Postma. “One example would be our work in Kenya. One of our partners has seen less and less water availability in their community. They’ve come up with a solution to build sand dams in rivers. These dams slow the torren-
tial waters that can fall during a rainstorm and allow for more of that water to sink in and replenish the aquifer, which can then be released through wells,” Postma said. “Our role is to help vetted partners find a solution, support that solution, assist in providing what’s needed, and then share these best practices with our network of about 50 partners to perhaps enable them to help their own communities in even greater ways.”
Global goals PWRDF’s work centres around key philanthropic ideas of universal justice, health, and peace. The agency has aligned itself with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 in addressing climate change, food security, and water safety. For this work, PWRDF is ranked in the Charity Intelligence Top 100, something it is honoured to be a part of. “It allows us to look even deeper into how we can embed local agency in greater and greater ways and give more space, more scope, more priority to the voice of communities as they develop programs for funding,” Postma said. PWRDF is supported in large part by donations from Anglicans and churches within the Anglican Church of Canada (the Primate is the head of the church), but it works separately from the national body. “We’re a human rights organization which supports the most vulnerable — those that are suffering indignity upon indignity,” added Postma. “It can be a difficult world when we see the needs around us, but there’s a lot of encouraging progress, where people’s lives are being improved, and that’s inspiring.”
Will Postma Executive Director, PWRDF
Visit pwrdf.org to learn more or to donate. This article was sponsored by Primate's World Relief & Development Fund.
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Sparrow Is on a Mission to Create Exceptional Shared Living Experiences Oren Singer
S A Space That Welcomes Everyone through Its Doors, No Matter What Community support means everything to this Toronto-based charity as it continues to uplift 2SLGBTQIA+ youth with access to necessary services. Katherine Cappellacci
Y Alban Joxhe Director, Transition Housing
Learn how you can support the 2SLGBTQIA+ community this holiday season at friendsofruby.ca. This article was sponsored by Friends of Ruby.
oung people who identify as two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and all gender non-conforming (2SLGBTQIA+) may struggle with self-acceptance. They can face identity-based rejection and isolation amongst their peers. In these situations, some may not seek help or even realize there’s resources available. Because of this, one in three youth experiencing homelessness identify as 2SLGBTQIA+. They’re disproportionally impacted by social isolation and unstable housing. This is amplified during the holiday season when adolescents may especially feel like they don’t belong. Nonacceptance leaves youth struggling, alone, and unsure of what’s next. One of the few organizations solely dedicated to helping marginalized queer youth, Friends of Ruby offers a comprehensive support system and inclusive community. They empower and validate those in need through drop-in, mental health, case management, and practical support services.
parrow (sparrowshare.com) is a Canadian homesharing platform and community that matches hosts with spare bedrooms and people seeking budget-friendly places to live. As Canadians age, many dream of remaining in the homes and neighbourhoods they’ve come to know and love. In fact, 86 per cent of urban Canadian older adult homeowners want to live in their homes for as long as possible. Homesharing presents a viable solution to help achieve this — where hosts rent out unused spare bedrooms in their home to like-minded housemates in exchange for rent (and possibly added help around the house). This solution helps hosts to generate passive income — up to $1,200 per month — and build social connections, while renters benefit from access to quality housing, typically below market rates. A CCEA study estimated there are five million empty bedrooms in Ontario. Based on census data, Sparrow estimates that there are over 12 million empty bedrooms across Canada. Sparrow places safety at the centre of its services, embedding identity verification, background checks, homeshare agreements, and screening interviews into its matching process. The platform also includes compatibility matching to enable better connections based on habits, lifestyle, and living preferences.
Friends of Ruby offers the first-of-its-kind transitional housing for those who need a place to stay. “We provide more comprehensive services to support youth that reside there,” says Alban Joxhe, Director of Transition Housing. “They build a community that uplifts each other.” Other programming includes counselling, meals, groups, employment and healthcare assistance, and tons of community activities. Participants gain self-esteem and resilience – many return as ambassadors to pass it forwards. Funding is crucial, as demand is incredibly high. Along with donations, they require increased government aid. “Society needs to acknowledge and uphold these youths,” Alban adds. “A lot of us have been in their shoes. We can make a difference, we’re here for them.”
1 in 3
The number of Canadian renters that spend more than half their income on shelter costs.
1 in 5
The number of young Canadian women and men experiencing considerable isolation.
Lauren Baker
G
lobally, climate change is one of the most pressing social issues and it’s deeply tied to poverty, economic prosperity, justice, and politics — though often our conversations about the environment can be one-dimensional. Conventional food systems are a huge driver of greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss. In Canada, most of our food is produced by large-scale farms, or travels great distances to reach our plates. This contributes 30 to 35 per cent of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions, mostly from agriculture, energy consumption, and food waste. If Canada is going to reach its climate change goals, we must transform our food systems and ensure they become both equitable and resilient.
What are equitable and resilient food systems?
This article was supported by CanadaHelps.
This article was sponsored by Sparrow Sparrow.
Better together
Tackling Climate Change Through Equitable and Resilient Food Systems
Donate to the Land and Food Justice Fund today and learn more about food justice at unitefor change.com.
If you have a spare bedroom and are interested in homesharing, Sparrow invites you to learn more by visiting sparrowshare.com or emailing hello@ sparrowshare.com.
Food systems are considered equitable when they provide healthy, culturally relevant food to all, offer good (and safe) jobs, and help create strong communities. Most Canadian food systems aren’t equitable, and one in eight households in Canada is food insecure. Many racialized communities are disproportionately affected, with roughly 28 per cent of Black and Indigenous households experiencing food insecurity in comparison to 11 per cent for white households. Food systems are considered resilient when they can withstand disruptions and continue providing food, but the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted just how vulnerable our inequitable food systems really are. Food production employees, especially migrant workers, who were forced to work (and
sometimes live) in unsafe working conditions, were at higher risk of developing COVID-19. Outbreaks closed processing plants and farms, leaving people out of work, while border closures caused shipment delays and grocery stores faced intermittent shortages.
Fighting climate change with equity and resiliency Both equity and resiliency can be partly addressed by investing in local, sustainable food systems, which in turn support climate goals. Many Canadian charities and grassroots groups are making this needed change, like the more than 40 charities that are included in Unite for Change’s Land and Food Justice Fund. The Fund includes charities that are helping young, local farmers access arable land so they can focus on low-emisssions, ecological food production. It also includes organizations that are creating community food programs dedicated to supporting marginalized communities and increasing locally sourced foods in climate-friendly ways, advancing food sovereignty within Black and Indigenous communities, and creating programs that reduce food waste. The Global Alliance for the Future of Food estimates that continuing these practices worldwide could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10.3 billion tonnes a year. With support, these organizations can continue their critical work and help transform and strengthen food systems.
Most Canadian food systems are not equitable, and one in eight households in Canada is food insecure.
12m
Number of bedrooms that sit empty and vacant across Canada.