On The Way Home

“Although there has been progress in creating awareness, education and support for the 2SLGBTQ+ community, over the last few years the community has been subject to increased amounts of hate and harassment across the US and Canada. Advocate and CEO and Principal Consultant at Ivy + Dean Consulting, Jacq Brasseur joins us on the pod to share their journey to advocacy, the current climate of push ba...

We can’t really have the conversation about ending homelessness if we don’t look at income supports for our most vulnerable. Lee Stevens from Vibrant Communities Calgary joins me on the pod this week to talk about basic income, her research around it and her hopes for the future of income support in Canada. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I'm joined by two amazing and knowledgeable American advocates and researchers in Mallory VanMeeter and Jacqueline White. We chat about the importance of Family and Natural Supports in preventing youth homelessness and their recent collaboration on a report callled "Strengthening the Village." An eye opening conversation on youth homelessness you won't want to miss Hosted on Acast. See a...

Chef Cori Doern has worked tirelessly over the years to create equal access to good food through sharing knowledge about cooking, food, nutrition, and how to stretch your food dollar way further. With food insecurity at an all-time high, we talk about what drives her to create access to good food, how she’s done it and what has to change moving forward. You don’t want to miss it Hosted on Acast. S...

How is homelessness being approached in New York City? We talk to the CEO of City Relief, Josiah Haken this week on the pod, around what homelessness looks like in NYC post pandemic, what strategies are being used to prevent and end it, and what has to happen in the near future to support their most vulnerable Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined by Gary Gladstone from Reena as we chat about how although many people experiencing homelessness have disabilities, funding remains elusive to meet their housing and support needs. We talk about the amazing work Reena has done to support adults with disabilities over the last 50 years and what will happen to put us on a better path. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo...

Housing is on everyone’s mind these days, and the top issue in Toronto, Canada’s largest city’s upcoming Mayoral election. This week on the pod, we bring together four amazing experts and ask the question, “If you were the Mayor, what would your housing platform be?”. You don’t want to miss it as John Fox, Ene Underwood, Diana Chan McNally and Andrew McKenzie join me for a thought-provoking and en...

David Green- “Professor David Green joins me to talk about a new book he co-authored called “ Basic Income and a Just Society: Policy Choices for Canada’s Social Safety Net”,  where he and a team took a deep dive into Basic income which resulted in them recommending broad policy changes moving forward. The learnings are surprising and fascinating, you won’t want to miss it. Hosted on Acast. See ac...

This week I’m joined by Shannon Downs, the Executive Director of the Waterloo Community Legal Clinic and John Fox, Partner at Robins Appleby to discuss the recent court ruling around encampments in Waterloo and what it means moving forward. We learn how the ruling came to be in a real life David vs Goliath story, and hear from both of these amazing experts around what the decision means not for ju...

While government and good policy play a huge part in ending homelessness in Canada, so does community involvement. This week on the OTWH podcast, I’m joined by Community Advocate, Marj Andre, who has worked tirelessly to rally her community to be a caring, supportive and inclusive place to live. We talk about Marj’s journey, why it’s so important to have community involved in being a part of the s...

As migration to Canada continues to grow, so do the challenges in making sure we are set up for success. Our guest this week on the OTWH podcast is Allan Reesor-McDowell, the Executive Director of Matthew House in Ottawa, an organization dedicated to providing housing and other supports to the over 20,000 migrants each year that come into Ottawa. We talk about the great work they are doing at Matt...

Join us this week on the On The Way Home podcast as we welcome researcher, political economist, and author, Ricardo Tranjan, who talks about his recently released book, “The Tenant Class”.  The book challenges the notion of a “Housing Crisis”, tackles myths about tenants, and discusses the history of bad policy that paved the way to the challenges we face today in housing and homelessness. We disc...

In 2017 there was a lot of excitement around the announcement of the National Housing Strategy. Now six years later, many feel the plan while full of potential has stalled. Jacob Gorenkoff from CHRA joins us this week on the podcast to talk about why the NHS needs a reset and what that might look like. Take a listen Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While many of us have hear of the term “modular construction”, many don’t truly understand what it is. This week I’m joined by Jackie Evans from NRB Modular Construction, who helps to educate us on what modular housing it, what the benefits are and why the team at NRB has been busier than ever in the past few years. Take a listen! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After 15 years in the construction industry, Andrew Miller turned his thoughts to tiny solutions to the country's massive housing crisis. This week on the podcast we talk about his journey from construction to the maker of Tiny Homes and Domes, how they can play a part in affordable housing, and how he’s working with an amazing construction social enterprise Community Builders to take them to the...

This week on the podcast I speak with Marc and Evan from Card for Change, two self-described average citizens who took it upon themselves to start an organization looking to provide a dignified and respectful way of providing assistance to people experiencing homelessness through the provision of gift cards. Listen to their fascinating journey as they took an observation during the pandemic, came...

Jennifer Laidley and Mohy Tabbara from Maytree Canada, co-authors of the “Welfare in Canada Report” join us on the podcast this week to talk about the 2021 report. We talk about the key learnings, the surprises and the solutions moving forward. You don’t want to miss it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earl Thiessen the Executive Director of Oxford House in Calgary, Alberta, joins us on the pod to share his incredible story of recovery leading to him working and then leading the team at Oxford House, an incredible organization offering people in need, recovery from addictions, a supportive program and safe home to achieve a productive, rewarding, clean sober life Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...

Individuals who are unhoused are too often discharged from Emergency Rooms into homelessness. This week Dr. Louis Francescutti joins us on the podcast to talk about the amazing new program he’s spearheading in Edmonton, Alberta, the Bridge Healing Transitional Accommodation Program, also known as  Asamina Kochi , which means “to try again” in Cree, that provides transitional housing for people in...

This week we are joined by a very special guest, Blue Door’s very own Emma Wood. Emma works within Blue Door as a Resource Development Manager. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Emma started a food security organization, called The Good Food Impact. The Good Food Impact aims to alleviate food insecurity by providing frozen, nutritious meals within our community, for anyone in need to access. Tune in t...

Is ending homelessness nationally possible? The answer is yes, and the proof is Finland. Juha Kahila from the Y-Foundation in Finland joins us this week on the podcast to talk about the strategy that has brought his country international acclaim for its approach to preventing and ending homelessness. We talk about the how, the what, and what’s next. Don’t miss it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pr...

This week, Sheldon Pollett and Sherri Payne from Choices for Youth join us to chat about the preventative and innovative new program they run in partnership with Stella’s Circle, called The Employability Support Stability Pilot Program. This revolutionary program works to re-think the systems that are limiting youth from working and supports them in stepping away from social assistance. They share...

This week we are joined by the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness President and CEO, Tim Richter to discuss CAEH’s new proposal for a Homelessness Prevention and Housing Benefit from the Federal Government that will support people currently experiencing homelessness and prevent thousands of new people from ever having to experience homelessness. Take a listen to find out how you and your commun...

Community Land Trusts are an important piece of the puzzle in securing long-term affordable housing. Joshua Barndt, the Executive Director of, The Neighbourhood Land Trust (NLT) & the Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust (PNLT)  joins us this week to share how he and his team built up their impactful CLTs, and how others can start or build up theirs." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mo...

Having the voices of youth at the table and leading work on the prevention of youth homelessness is critical. This week on the podcast we are joined by Samantha Lobb, the Chair of the Youth Council for the Youth Homelessness Prevention and Housing Stabilization Strategy of the York Region. We chat about the exciting By Youth For Youth Project her council is leading and much, much more! A great lis...