Category Archives: In the News

The recent furore regarding Sunny James and the removal of his belongings from public property reminded me that the London Homeless Coalition needs a position statement on how to address people experiencing homelessness engaging in private behaviours in public spaces. … Continue reading →

English poor laws, dating back centuries, were termed as a form of “relief” for the poor. However, in reality they were simply a means to remove poverty from sight. Children were arrested and put into workhouses, men were put in … Continue reading →

Ontario’s Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy Update was announced today. Here are 8 ways that this update will help end homelessness in Ontario communities: Increasing CHPI Funding – CHPI stands for Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative. This is the provincial contribution to … Continue reading →

Let me preface what I’m about to say with acknowledging my support and thanks for #BellLetsTalk. I believe that any effort to de-stigmatize mental illness is a valuable one whether it comes from corporations, academia, or activists. However, as a … Continue reading →

Discussion of the Syrian refugee crisis was common around family dinner tables over the holiday season. With the new Canadian Government working quickly to fulfill their election pledge, communities across Canada are beginning to receive their first government sponsored refugees. … Continue reading →

I was asked to give comment regarding a number of residential facilities being re-classed as care homes, which has financial implications for the managers of these facilities. Here are my thoughts: As Chair of the London Homeless Coalition I was acutely … Continue reading →

A Tim Hortons worker pours water on a sleeping homeless man in the middle of winter. A London Free Press reader in the comments suggests killing refugees being screened for Ebola. My students speak of nurses suggesting patients with conditions … Continue reading →

Today, the Government of Ontario released the 2014-2019 Ontario Poverty Reduction Strategy. This follows up on the 2008-2013 Strategy, which I evaluated here and here. The previous strategy was focused on child poverty, and although the target of a 25% reduction in … Continue reading →

This very well written, thoughtful, and detailed article on Mashable about homelessness and connectivity is well worth the read. It makes a number of valuable points about homelessness and smart phone connectivity with which I agree: Experiences of homelessness are … Continue reading →

It seems like on almost a weekly basis I get an email, Facebook message, or Twitter link from someone thoughtful who says, “Hey Abe, did you see this?”  What then follows is a link to a story about building mini … Continue reading →