On The Way Home

Those of us working in housing and exploring opportunities for Build Canada Homes funding, have heard a lot of buzz about modern methods of construction. What exactly are modern methods of construction? What qualifies? Is the quality better or worse? How much faster is it to get a housing project completed and when should I not consider modern methods of construction? How can I save money and what...

Alex Cheng, Vice President of Programs and Services at Blue Door, speaks about the organization's accomplishments in the last year and strategic priorities for the next 5 years. Alex discussed how existing services in 3 core service areas : Housing, Health and Employment have continued to grow and demonstrate strong outcomes. He also discusses how Blue Door looks forward to the imminent openin...

Homes First is one of Toronto's largest and leading services for housing and homelessness services in Toronto. Homes First offers Emergency Shelter, Supportive Housing and support services including eviction prevention, trauma informed counselling and harm reduction supports. Working with individuals with acute needs, many of whom experience chronic homelessness, Homes First is a leader in Sup...

Community Health Centres have become vital partners in serving people experiencing homelessness by providing primary health care, mental health support, health promotion programs and community outreach. This week we speak to Dean Dewar, Director, Community Engagement and Outreach Service at Sandy Hill Community Health Centre in Ottawa about reducing barriers to care for some of the most vulnerable...

Canada is in the grip of a housing crisis affecting Canadians, communities and local economies. Municipalities are on the front lines—and land is at the foundation of local solutions. By starting with land locally, communities can move faster, reduce project costs and create more permanently affordable housing for the people who need it most. From the Ground is a national, mayor-driven movement, l...

Land Trusts continue to flourish across the country. The Kensington Market Community land Trust (KMCLT) started 10 years ago as a means to preserve affordable rents in the community. Today, supported by community bonds, donations and the City of Toronto's Multi-Unit Residential Acquisition Program, the KMCLT owns three buildings including mixed residential and commercial spaces. Dominiqu...

Today we are joined by Shauna McKinnon, Professor of Urban and Inner-City Studies at University of Winnipeg as well as Board member of the University of Winnipeg Community Renewal Corporation. Shauna is also a founding member of the Social Housing and Human Rights coalition. We talk to Shauna about changes in the housing landscape, the National Housing Strategy 2.0 and the important role of social...

Today we welcome Alana Jones, Founder and Executive Director at Borden Place. Borden Place is a supportive community housing provider based in Toronto whose program started from neighborhood concerns about a neglected rooming house. Today, through strong community and landlord relationships, Borden Place manages three locations across the GTA. Borden Place ensures that rooming houses remain an aff...

This week on On the Way Home, we sit down with Emmy Kelly, former On the Way Home host and Blue Door COO, as she reflects on her next chapter. Emmy shares insights from her nearly 10 years at Blue Door, the lessons she learned from colleagues and individual service users, and the incredible housing community she had the opportunity to connect with through the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...

Can affordable homeownership still be part of the solution to Canada's housing crisis? In this episode of On the Way Home, Emmy Kelly speaks with Ene Underwood, CEO of Habitat for Humanity GTA, about the organization's ambitious new strategic plan, Raising the Bar: 2,000 Homes by 2030. Ene reflects on how the housing landscape has changed during her decade of leadership, why affordable homeownersh...

What if affordable housing could be built faster, more efficiently, and on a greater scale without sacrificing quality? In this episode of On the Way Home, Emmy Kelly speaks with Joshua Benard, Executive Vice President of Real Estate Development & Construction from Habitat for Humanity GTA about the organization’s new Build Factory initiative and its potential to accelerate the delivery of aff...

More than one million Ontario households are now estimated to need subsidized housing, and that number is expected to keep growing. In this episode of On the Way Home, Emmy Kelly welcomes back Marlene Coffey, CEO at ONPHA, to unpack the findings of the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario’s latest report, An Update on Subsidized Housing Programs. Together, they explore why housing needs cont...

When rent consumes most of a household’s income, what gets sacrificed next? In this episode of On the Way Home, Emmy Kelly speaks with Neil Hetherington, CEO of Daily Bread Food Bank, about why Canada’s largest food bank is now advocating for housing policy reform. As food bank usage reaches record highs, Neil shares why he is “mad” and listeners have the opportunity to hear that frustration fueli...

What happens when someone leaves jail with nowhere to go? In this episode of On the Way Home, Emmy Kelly speaks with Shannon Speirs, Executive Director of the John Howard Society of York Region, about the often-overlooked link between incarceration and homelessness. Drawing on the findings of the From Incarceration to Encampment report, Shannon explains how thousands of Ontarians are released from...

What does it mean to treat housing not just as infrastructure, but as a human right grounded in identity, culture, and self-determination? In this episode of On the Way Home, Emmy Kelly speaks with Margaret Pfoh, CEO of the Aboriginal Housing Management Association, about the power and responsibility of Indigenous-led housing. Drawing on her roots in the Ginaxgiik Tribe and Gisputdwada Clan of the...

What if Ontario’s next housing bill were written with a clear objective: to deliver significantly more non-profit and below-market housing across the province? In this special panel episode of On the Way Home, Emmy Kelly moderates a forward-looking conversation with John Fox Partner at Robins Appleby LLP, Nick Gefucia Senior Vice President, Affordable Housing at EllisDon Community Builders, and An...

What if Canada’s housing challenge is not only about supply, but about how the entire system is designed to deliver at scale? In this episode of On the Way Home, Emmy Kelly speaks with Lisa Ker, Executive Director of the Community Housing Transformation Centre, alongside Development Managers Joseph Daniels, Dawn Campbell, and Luc Labelle, about how community housing can evolve from a fragmented se...

As student housing costs rise and traditional models fall short, new approaches are emerging that center community, equity, and affordability. In this episode of On the Way Home, Emmy Kelly speaks with Nathi Zamisa Co-Executive Director of HOUSE Canada, about how co-operative and non-profit housing can reshape the student housing landscape. Drawing on his work across Toronto and Mississauga, they...

What does it take to lead through complexity without losing sight of long-term change? In this episode of On the Way Home, Emmy speaks with Ala’a Shadid, Executive Director of the Multifaith Housing Initiative, about navigating the tension between day-to-day operations and building toward systems transformation. Ala’a reflects on his journey into housing and the realities of leadership in a sector...

Supporting more than 15,000 seniors across 83 buildings, Tom Hunter is leading one of Canada’s largest seniors housing portfolios at a time of growing complexity. In this episode of On the Way Home, Emmy Kelly speaks with the CEO of the Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation about what it takes to help seniors age in place with dignity and stability. Tom reflects on his journey into the role, the imp...

In this episode of On the Way Home, Emmy Kelly speaks with Victor Willis, Lead of the Toronto Mental Health & Addictions Supportive Housing Network, about the critical role supportive housing plays in strengthening communities and addressing gaps in housing and our communities. Drawing on more than 30 years in community development, Victor explains what supportive housing is, why it exists, an...

In this episode of On the Way Home, Emmy Kelly speaks with Jen Crowe, Executive Director of Choices for Youth, about the evolving landscape of youth homelessness in Newfoundland and Labrador and across Canada. Jen shares insights into the unique realities facing young people in both urban and rural communities, explains how a systems-focused and equity-driven approach can address root causes rathe...

In this episode of On the Way Home, Emmy Kelly speaks with Deliah Bernard, Partner at Root Strategies, about what meaningful reconciliation looks like in practice and how relationships, leadership, and listening shape lasting change. Drawing on her experience working alongside Indigenous communities and advising on major national initiatives, including serving as Senior Indigenous Affairs Advisor...

In this episode of On the Way Home, Emmy Kelly speaks with Alyse Bernbaum, Executive Director of the Aubrey & Marla Dan Foundation, about the deep connection between youth mental health and youth homelessness, and the role early intervention and wraparound care play in changing life trajectories. Alyse shares her journey into this work, reflects on how these challenges show up in young people’...

What could Canada learn if we looked beyond our own borders at how other countries are tackling homelessness? In this episode of On the Way Home, Emmy Kelly speaks with leading housing researcher Nick Falvo about why global learning can be a powerful tool for local change. Drawing on his work across Canada and internationally, Nick shares what’s shifting in homelessness policy and where we may sti...