Affordable Housing / en 老司机直播 expands housing options for students via partnership with home-sharing platform /news/u-t-expands-housing-options-students-partnership-home-sharing-platform <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">老司机直播 expands housing options for students via partnership with home-sharing platform</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-07/UofTHousing_News_SpacesShared-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=sR10ngIO 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-07/UofTHousing_News_SpacesShared-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=YBkNSPjC 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-07/UofTHousing_News_SpacesShared-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=0PGrTPGO 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-07/UofTHousing_News_SpacesShared-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=sR10ngIO" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>rahul.kalvapalle</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-07-15T14:41:27-04:00" title="Monday, July 15, 2024 - 14:41" class="datetime">Mon, 07/15/2024 - 14:41</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>From left to right: Jackie Tanner, SpacesShared鈥檚 chief experience officer, Rylan Kinnon, SpacesShared鈥檚 CEO, and Arlene Clement, 老司机直播鈥檚 director, Housing and TCard services (photo by Sydney Maddock)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/rahul-kalvapalle" hreflang="en">Rahul Kalvapalle</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/affordable-housing" hreflang="en">Affordable Housing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/housing" hreflang="en">Housing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/student-life" hreflang="en">Student Life</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">SpacesShared facilitates home-sharing arrangements between students seeking affordable housing near campus and older adults looking to earn rent from their spare rooms<br> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>As part of its efforts to provide more access to student housing, the University of Toronto has added a unique option that also helps address a community need near its three campuses: matching students in need of housing with older adults who have extra space in their homes.</p> <p>The innovative offering is the result of a partnership <a href="https://studentlife.utoronto.ca/news/u-of-t-and-spacesshared-partner-on-affordable-housing-option-matching-students-with-older-adults/">between 老司机直播 and SpacesShared</a>, an online&nbsp;platform that facilitates home-sharing agreements using a combination of algorithms and dedicated support staff.&nbsp;</p> <p>Based in Toronto, SpacesShared was co-founded by 老司机直播 alumni and helps with every stage of the&nbsp;home-sharing process 鈥 from matching students and hosts to providing a platform for secure communication, carrying out background checks and processing rent payments</p> <p>The partnership will enable 老司机直播 students to use SpacesShared to search for housing options near all three campuses, with 老司机直播 Housing Services encouraging homeowners in the Toronto area to sign up and help students secure a comfortable living environment 鈥 all&nbsp;while earning rental income for themselves.</p> <p>鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to partner with SpacesShared and expand affordable housing options for students as well as offer older adults a way to leverage a spare bedroom for some extra income, company and companionship,鈥 said <strong>Arlene Clement</strong>, director of Housing and TCard services at 老司机直播 Student Life. 鈥淭his is addressing a need that we see in terms of affordable, safe housing and community connection.鈥</p> <p>She added that&nbsp;homeowners and students interested in signing up for the platform can do so <a href="http://www.spacesshared.ca/home">on the SpacesShared website</a> or <a href="http://studentlife.utoronto.ca/department/housing/">contact 老司机直播 Housing Services</a> for guidance.</p> <p>The partnership comes as 老司机直播 continues to seek out new ways to help students find suitable housing. In February, 老司机直播 announced that it acquired a <a href="/news/win-students-u-t-acquires-20-cent-privately-owned-campusone-residence">20-per-cent stake in the CampusOne residence building</a> located near the St. George campus in a deal that gives the university preferential access to as many as 890 beds.</p> <p>The university has also made headway on a number of new student residence buildings including <a href="https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/residences/first-year-building">Harmony Commons</a>, which opened at 老司机直播 Scarborough last fall; the <a href="https://spacesandexperiences.utoronto.ca/housing/introducing-oak-house-student-residence/">Oak House residence</a> on Spadina Avenue, which is currently under construction; and the <a href="https://governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/system/files/agenda-items/20240208_UTM_CAC_02P_0.pdf">Phase IX Residence</a> at 老司机直播 Mississauga, which is expected to be open in summer 2026.</p> <p>As for SpacesShared, the platform provides yet another housing option for students while fostering mutually beneficial intergenerational interactions. SpacesShared also offers students the option of receiving discounts on their rent in exchange for helping with specific household tasks and chores.</p> <p>鈥淗ome-sharing allows us to use the capacity that already exists in the community,鈥 said <strong>Jackie Tanner</strong>, co-founder and chief experience officer at SpacesShared, who earned her master鈥檚 degree at 老司机直播鈥檚 Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. 鈥淥lder adults get to put their spare bedrooms toward earning extra income and getting a little bit of extra help around the house, and students get to find safe housing close to campus.鈥</p> <p>After being vetted, both students and potential hosts set up a profile sharing information about themselves, including interests, hobbies and expectations around use of shared spaces in the home, guests, dietary restrictions and other lifestyle preferences. When a student reaches out to a prospective host, the pair can exchange messages and have video chats on the platform, with SpacesShared providing a comprehensive discussion guide to help determine the best fit. If the pair agree on a home-sharing arrangement, SpacesShared drafts an agreement for both parties to sign. Students then pay first and last months鈥 rent as a deposit 鈥 with the amount only forwarded to the host after the student confirms move-in.</p> <p>SpacesShared then follows up with regular check-ins, with both hosts and students able to contact customer service for support.</p> <p>鈥淏y pairing up these two demographics who have so much to offer one another, our aim is to provide a new way to facilitate a very old concept 鈥 home-sharing,鈥 said co-founder and CEO <strong>Rylan Kinnon</strong>, who earned an honours bachelor of arts with a political science specialist and a minor in philosophy and history at 老司机直播.</p> <p>鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to be working with 老司机直播 to create housing relationships that are beneficial to both students and older adults.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 15 Jul 2024 18:41:27 +0000 rahul.kalvapalle 308436 at 'Lost opportunity': Affordable housing needed in local development projects, 老司机直播 researcher says /news/lost-opportunity-mixed-use-developments-reduce-urban-housing-affordability-u-t-researcher-finds <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">'Lost opportunity': Affordable housing needed in local development projects, 老司机直播 researcher says</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Oxford_Properties_SquareOneWEB.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=GgAfeeSJ 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Oxford_Properties_SquareOneWEB.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=mn7TXsTK 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Oxford_Properties_SquareOneWEB.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=hH8yxSDr 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Oxford_Properties_SquareOneWEB.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=GgAfeeSJ" alt="Square One Redering of part of the Square One District development unveiled by Oxford Properties in Mississauga, Ont. "> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2020-02-14T09:33:21-05:00" title="Friday, February 14, 2020 - 09:33" class="datetime">Fri, 02/14/2020 - 09:33</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Aerial view of The Strand, part of the Square One District development unveiled by Oxford Properties in Mississauga, Ont. (image via CNW Group/Oxford Properties Group Inc.)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/patricia-lonergan" hreflang="en">Patricia Lonergan</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/affordable-housing" hreflang="en">Affordable Housing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cities" hreflang="en">Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/geography" hreflang="en">Geography</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/housing" hreflang="en">Housing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-and-innovation" hreflang="en">Research and Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">老司机直播 Mississauga</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Mixed-use housing projects are based on questionable assumptions that increasing the supply of rental units will lead to more affordable housing 鈥 a problem University of Toronto researcher <strong>Tara Vinodrai&nbsp;</strong>is highlighting after plans for a massive, 37-tower development in Mississauga鈥檚 City Centre neighbourhood&nbsp;<a href="https://renx.ca/oxford-aimco-square-one-district-mississauga-development/">were unveiled earlier this year</a>.</p> <p>Pointing to a study she <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01944363.2017.1406315">co-authored in 2018 while at the University of Waterloo</a>, Vinodrai says&nbsp;mixed-use developments like those favoured in Toronto and other municipalities&nbsp;actually decrease affordability and price out certain segments of the population.</p> <p>She and her co-authors drew the conclusion after examining&nbsp;long-term change in Toronto, where mixed-use zoning is actively used, in the context of labour market changes.</p> <p>鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing people priced out of the city,鈥 says Vinodrai, an associate professor in 老司机直播 Mississauga鈥檚 department of geography and&nbsp;the director of the school鈥檚 new Master of Urban Innovation professional graduate program.</p> <p>Part of the problem is the disappearance of the middle class, she says. Manufacturing is declining in favour of a growing technology-based economy with higher-earning jobs that require higher education. What is emerging is a division of the labour market, where people either have a lot of resources for housing or they have very few, according to Vinodrai.</p> <p>Those in lower-earning jobs, she says, are increasingly unable to afford housing, particularly in mixed-use developments that are often in desirable locations with access to amenities and transit.</p> <p>鈥淓ven in the mid-sized cities we鈥檙e starting to see a push on housing prices that makes it unaffordable, particularly for people in the lowest brackets.鈥</p> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/UTM_Tara_Vinodrai_01.jpg" alt></p> <p><em>Tara Vinodrai, an associate professor in 老司机直播 Mississauga鈥檚 department of geography, says it鈥檚 ironic that many urban developments lack affordable housing units since they exclude the very people who need to be close to urban transit hubs or who work at local retail establishments&nbsp;(photo by Drew Lesiuczok)</em></p> <p>In the case of Mississauga鈥檚 City Centre neighbourhood, the proposed 37-tower Square One District, unveiled by Oxford Properties in January, will include community buildings, green space, office space, retail, a transit hub and 18,000 residential units that are a mix of rentals and condominiums. There are no&nbsp;plans for affordable housing units that are priced&nbsp;below market rent.</p> <p>Vinodrai calls this a 鈥渓ost opportunity,鈥 adding there鈥檚 an irony that these developments exclude the very people who need to be close to transit hubs or those who work at local retail shops.</p> <p>One of the concerns Mississauga employers have is attracting young, bright minds because of the challenges they face finding housing. Yet, while the city鈥檚 newest development addresses an issue that helps with the labour market, Vinodrai says the city also needs housing for people who work lower-wage jobs.</p> <p>鈥淲ithout deliberate intervention, I don鈥檛 think you鈥檙e going to have a desirable outcome, which, from a planning standpoint, would be to ensure some form of equitable development,鈥 she says.</p> <p>Ontario municipalities already have planning tools at their disposal to address affordability, including&nbsp;density bonuses, where developers can build more units or taller structures than permitted if, in return, they set aside affordable or below-market housing.</p> <p>Or there鈥檚 the approach being taken by Montreal. Starting in 2021, developers in the city will be required to set aside 20 per cent of new housing units for social housing, 20 per cent for affordable housing, and 10 to 20 per cent for family-sized units&nbsp;鈥 or pay compensation to the city in land or cash.</p> <p>鈥淢ississauga has an opportunity to show leadership in the GTA and beyond in terms of considering these types of policy and planning tools to address housing affordability, and it doesn鈥檛 have to be at the expense of attracting the best and brightest minds to the city鈥檚 downtown,鈥 Vinodrai says.</p> <p>鈥淚 would hope the city could push back either through regulation or some kind of deal, I would hope they could think about requiring that the developer set aside even a small proportion of units for below-market.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 14 Feb 2020 14:33:21 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 162700 at 老司机直播, OCAD, Ryerson, York collaborate in massive joint research project on affordable housing /news/u-t-ocad-ryerson-york-collaborate-massive-joint-research-project-affordable-housing <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">老司机直播, OCAD, Ryerson, York collaborate in massive joint research project on affordable housing </span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Kearon-1140-x-760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=lXyCM2Sp 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Kearon-1140-x-760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=9Qib9clj 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Kearon-1140-x-760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=7RbyNyt2 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Kearon-1140-x-760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=lXyCM2Sp" alt="photo of student"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>lanthierj</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-09-22T13:57:04-04:00" title="Friday, September 22, 2017 - 13:57" class="datetime">Fri, 09/22/2017 - 13:57</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Kearon Roy Taylor is one of the student leads for StudentDwellTO (photo by Romi Levine)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/romi-levine" hreflang="en">Romi Levine</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Romi Levine</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cities" hreflang="en">Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/studentdwellto" hreflang="en">StudentDwellTO</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/affordable-housing" hreflang="en">Affordable Housing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/collaboration" hreflang="en">Collaboration</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/john-h-daniels-faculty-architecture" hreflang="en">John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/oise" hreflang="en">OISE</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">StudentDwellTO builds on StudentMoveTO</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>It takes University of Toronto student <strong>Syed Imam </strong>about an hour and a half on public transit to get to the university鈥檚 downtown Toronto campus from his home in Mississauga.&nbsp;</p> <p>That鈥檚 almost three hours of daily commuting, five days a week, for Imam, who studies civil engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering.</p> <p>鈥淚'm spending a little over $250 a month on commuting. If there was something reasonably close to campus, I would definitely choose to stay there,鈥 says Imam, who spends almost 12 hours a day downtown to 鈥渙ptimize commuting times.鈥</p> <p>Imam鈥檚 commuting woes aren鈥檛 unique 鈥 they鈥檙e a symptom of a larger issue facing post-secondary students in the Greater Toronto Area: the lack of affordable housing.</p> <p>Recognizing the urgency of the issue, the presidents of Toronto鈥檚 four universities 鈥 the University of Toronto, OCAD, York and Ryerson 鈥 are teaming up for a new initiative called StudentDwellTO, bringing together almost 100 faculty and students to take an in-depth look at student housing in the GTA.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淚t鈥檚 yet another example of how the impact of our collective efforts can be far greater than the sum of individual contributions,鈥 says <strong>Shauna Brail</strong>. An associate professor, teaching stream, Brail is 老司机直播's presidential adviser on urban engagement and director of the urban studies program in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science.</p> <p>This follows a previous collaboration among the four presidents 鈥 <a href="/news/uoftbts16-u-t-research-student-transportation">a massive survey of student travel behaviour called StudentMoveTO</a>. That survey uncovered an unsettling narrative 鈥 students said a lack of housing affordability led to longer daily commute times, lower levels of campus engagement and, in some cases, hidden homelessness.</p> <p>Considering the number of post-secondary students in the GTA 鈥 more than 180,000 spread across seven campuses 鈥 these findings are a big deal, says Brail, who will be 老司机直播鈥檚 representative for StudentDwellTO鈥檚 steering committee.</p> <p>University of Toronto president <strong>Meric Gertler</strong> agrees, emphasizing the importance of a rich co-curricular life for undergraduate and graduate students.</p> <p>鈥淲e want our students to be able to take full advantage of all the opportunities offered by a 老司机直播 education,鈥 the president says. 鈥淭he university experience extends far beyond the classrooms, laboratories and lecture halls. By providing the research needed to develop innovative policy on student housing, this project has the potential to help students participate more fully in university life and make the cost of attending university more affordable.鈥</p> <p>The new project will look at affordability from a multidisciplinary perspective. Researchers in architecture, education, engineering, psychology and geography will collaborate with GTA community partners.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭he opportunities for knowledge exchange are pretty incredible,鈥 says<strong> Kearon Roy Taylor</strong>, a graduate student at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design and one 老司机直播鈥檚 two student leads on the project.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__6103 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Mauricio-2-750-x-500.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px; margin: 10px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>Mauricio Quiros-Pacheco is one of the faculty leads of StudentDwellTO (photo by Romi Levine)</em></p> <p>Results of the 18-month initiative, which will include a heavy research component, and data collection from a wide-scale survey and focus groups, will be made public. The subject matter will also be incorporated into courses, which will look at case studies from around the world on how to make housing more affordable. &nbsp;</p> <p>The collaborative nature of StudentDwellTO across a variety of disciplines will encourage creative thinking, says <strong>Mauricio Quiros-Pacheco</strong>, an assistant professor, teaching stream, at the Daniels Faculty and one of the project鈥檚 academic leads. And because there鈥檚 no particular outcome expected, the teams will be able to experiment with a variety of ideas.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淲e can be a bit more daring, going deeper into studies, trying to understand the potential of the city and the four institutions to address the crisis,鈥 he says.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Marcelo Vieta</strong>, an assistant &nbsp;professor at 老司机直播鈥檚 Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, is looking forward to applying this kind of out-of-the-box thinking to StudentDwellTO research.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淲ith me, it's around how to live differently and how to live better. How do we address some of the social ills we face by influencing policy and practices?鈥&nbsp;<br> StudentDwellTO has the potential to positively influence the affordable housing landscape in Toronto, but in order to do so, it鈥檚 crucial that students play a central role in both their input and research contributions, says Brail.</p> <p>鈥淥ur students are leading-edge thinkers who bring \insight and intelligence to bear on this work,鈥 she says. 鈥淎s rising researchers, their understanding of the conditions, challenges and possibilities and their ability to shape the outcomes 鈥 potentially for future generations of students 鈥 is exciting.鈥</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 22 Sep 2017 17:57:04 +0000 lanthierj 116426 at Housing crisis pushing people into rural areas with already stretched health services: 老司机直播 research /news/housing-crisis-pushing-people-rural-areas-already-stretched-health-services-u-t-research <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Housing crisis pushing people into rural areas with already stretched health services: 老司机直播 research</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-09-11-rural-health.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=vE0lffz0 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-09-11-rural-health.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=k-KE0Xdl 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-09-11-rural-health.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=oKCZFSBe 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-09-11-rural-health.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=vE0lffz0" alt="photo of rural area"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-09-11T10:50:53-04:00" title="Monday, September 11, 2017 - 10:50" class="datetime">Mon, 09/11/2017 - 10:50</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">People are seeking affordable housing in remote communities that are already overburdened and don鈥檛 have specialized health and social services, according to a new 老司机直播 study (photo by Indigo Skies Photography via Flickr)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/nicole-bodnar" hreflang="en">Nicole Bodnar</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Nicole Bodnar</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/dalla-lana-school-public-health" hreflang="en">Dalla Lana School of Public Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/health" hreflang="en">Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/wellness" hreflang="en">Wellness</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research" hreflang="en">Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cities" hreflang="en">Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/affordable-housing" hreflang="en">Affordable Housing</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Health services in rural and remote areas are struggling to cope with an influx of people on low, fixed incomes moving to these areas, researchers at 老司机直播's Dalla Lana School of Public Health have found.&nbsp;</p> <p>No longer able to survive in southern Ontario due to skyrocketing housing costs, people are seeking affordable housing in remote communities that are already overburdened&nbsp;and don鈥檛 have&nbsp;specialized health and social services.</p> <p>鈥淎n influx of low-income people with complex conditions places additional pressures on rural health services that are already struggling to overcome the challenges posed by lack of services, distance from specialized care&nbsp;and high physician turn-over,鈥 said <strong>Kathleen Rice</strong>, a medical anthropologist and post-doctoral researcher at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.</p> <p>Rice worked with Associate Professor <strong>Fiona Webster </strong>on a&nbsp;study recently published in <em><a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953617305257">Social Science &amp; Medicine</a></em>. The&nbsp;study is among the first to examine the migration trend to northern and remote communities as a consequence of rising housing costs in urban areas.</p> <p>Based on observations and interviews with primary care providers, clinical directors, policymakers and patients in two remote recourse communities in northern Ontario, they found that people with complex care needs and few personal resources were intentionally relocating to economically depressed resource towns in search of affordable housing.</p> <p>鈥淭hese people are putting their pragmatic need for affordable housing ahead of their need for specialized medical and social care,鈥 said Webster, who is affiliated with the Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation. Webster is a medical sociologist heading up a program of research funded by the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/193.html">Canadian Institutes of Health Research</a> using qualitative approaches to study the care of people with complex needs with a particular focus on chronic pain.</p> <p>鈥淲hile conversations about housing costs in southern Ontario typically focus on the implications for young Canadians, for the vibrancy of urban neighbourhoods,&nbsp;and for the Canadian economy at large, we rarely hear about how these issues affect rural communities,鈥 said Rice.</p> <p>鈥淢any of the people who are leaving southern Ontario for these northern resource towns are unable to work due to chronic illness, and these communities lack the resources to provide the complex care that many of them require. Current programs and policies do not account for this,鈥 said Rice.</p> <p>Globally, people living in rural areas&nbsp;tend to have poorer health relative to their urban counterparts, and many rural towns in Ontario are experiencing growing poverty and unemployment, which has resulted in a dramatic increase in mental health and addictions.</p> <p>That鈥檚 why, researchers say, policies aimed at mitigating urban-rural health disparities should account for the influx of low-income people with complex chronic conditions. Study findings suggest that funding for pain and mental health disorders are especially needed.</p> <h3><a href="https://copestudy.nodagroup.net/">Read more about the research</a>&nbsp;</h3> <p><em>This study was funded by a&nbsp;Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)&nbsp;operating grant and&nbsp;CIHR New Investigator Award&nbsp;held by the senior author.&nbsp;</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 11 Sep 2017 14:50:53 +0000 ullahnor 115414 at 老司机直播's Richard Florida delves into inequality and rising housing prices in cities /news/u-t-s-richard-florida-delves-inequality-and-rising-housing-prices-cities <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">老司机直播's Richard Florida delves into inequality and rising housing prices in cities</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-04-12-florida.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=c8tPDJYC 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-04-12-florida.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=swEP5K3q 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-04-12-florida.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=LRxdvotu 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-04-12-florida.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=c8tPDJYC" alt="Photo of the city"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-04-12T13:45:48-04:00" title="Wednesday, April 12, 2017 - 13:45" class="datetime">Wed, 04/12/2017 - 13:45</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Richard Florida's new book, 鈥淭he New Urban Crisis: How Our Cities Are Increasing Inequality, Deepening Segregation, and Failing the Middle-Class鈥 is gaining media attention (photo by VV Nincic via Flickr)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cities" hreflang="en">Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/urban" hreflang="en">urban</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/affordable-housing" hreflang="en">Affordable Housing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/wealth" hreflang="en">Wealth</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/richard-florida" hreflang="en">Richard Florida</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/rotman-school-management" hreflang="en">Rotman School of Management</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/books" hreflang="en">Books</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The latest book by 老司机直播's <strong>Richard Florida</strong>, <em>The New Urban Crisis,&nbsp;</em>is gaining attention for exploring&nbsp;the dark side of the back-to-the-city movement 鈥 one that has led to rising housing prices,&nbsp;economic disparity and the decline of middle-class neighbourhoods.</p> <p>Excerpts of the book have appeared in the <em>The Atlantic's</em> <em>CityLab&nbsp;</em>and Florida&nbsp;has been featured in the <em>Toronto Star </em>and&nbsp;<em>Toronto Life.</em></p> <p>Florida also appeared this week on National Public Radio's <em>Morning Edition</em>.</p> <p>鈥淭he middle class in this country has declined,鈥 he told host Steve Inskeep. 鈥淏ut, more importantly to me, the middle-class neighborhoods, those platforms for the American dream, have been decimated.鈥</p> <h3><a href="http://www.npr.org/2017/04/10/523237746/author-richard-florida-on-the-new-urban-crisis">Check the NPR interview</a></h3> <h3><a href="https://www.citylab.com/politics/2017/04/the-roots-of-the-new-urban-crisis/521028/">Read excerpts from his new book at <em>CityLab</em></a></h3> <p>Florida, a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards/uprofessors.htm">University Professor</a> and director of cities at the Rotman School of Management's Martin Prosperity Institute, has&nbsp;for years promoted&nbsp;what he calls the creative class. For cities to prosper, he argued in&nbsp;his groundbreaking book,<em> The Rise of the Creative Class</em>, they needed to attract techies, innovators and entrepreneurs.</p> <h3><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/lost-in-housing-hysteria-middle-class-neighbourhoods-have-gone-extinct/article34793060/">Read his op-ed in the <em>Globe and Mail</em></a></h3> <p>In his new book, he argues that the&nbsp;same forces that attracted that creative class&nbsp;are now creating inequality in superstar cities such as&nbsp;New York, London, Paris&nbsp;and Toronto.</p> <p>鈥淚 began to see the back-to-the-city movement as something that conferred a disproportionate share of its benefits on a small group of places and people,鈥 he writes. 鈥淰irtually all our cities suffer from growing economic divides. Tens of millions of Americans remain locked in persistent poverty.</p> <p>鈥淎cross the great majority of cities and suburbs alike, the middle class is declining. Our economic landscape is splintering into small areas of affluence and concentrated advantage, and much larger areas of poverty and concentrated disadvantage.鈥</p> <p>The new urban crisis is leading to the rise of populism, Florida says, in the form of Brexit, Donald Trump鈥檚 presidential victory, and in Toronto's case, Rob Ford.</p> <h3><a href="http://torontolife.com/city/toronto-politics/qa-urbanist-richard-florida-rising-home-prices-donald-trump/">Read the <em>Toronto Life</em> Q &amp; A</a></h3> <h3><a href="https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2017/04/11/combating-the-winner-takes-all-new-urban-crisis.html">Read the <em>Toronto Star</em>&nbsp;op-ed</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 12 Apr 2017 17:45:48 +0000 ullahnor 106703 at Undergraduate students compete at 老司机直播 this weekend to tackle affordable housing challenges /news/undergraduate-students-compete-u-t-weekend-tackle-affordable-housing-challenges <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Undergraduate students compete at 老司机直播 this weekend to tackle affordable housing challenges</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-03-10-regent-park.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=OUe9PfKT 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-03-10-regent-park.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=wvHR8TAP 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-03-10-regent-park.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=ESVxWd4C 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-03-10-regent-park.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=OUe9PfKT" alt> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-03-10T15:24:26-05:00" title="Friday, March 10, 2017 - 15:24" class="datetime">Fri, 03/10/2017 - 15:24</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Regent Park, Canada's oldest and largest social housing development, is being revitalized with a mixture of condominiums, market-rate rental apartments and public housing (photo by the City of Toronto via Flickr) </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/kim-luke" hreflang="en">Kim Luke</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Kim Luke</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/urban" hreflang="en">urban</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cities" hreflang="en">Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/geography" hreflang="en">Geography</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/political-science" hreflang="en">Political Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/economics" hreflang="en">Economics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/ethis" hreflang="en">Ethis</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/society-and-law" hreflang="en">Society and Law</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/affordable-housing" hreflang="en">Affordable Housing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/laneways" hreflang="en">Laneways</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The students behind <a href="http://civicspark.ca/">CivicSpark</a> 鈥 a University of Toronto group devoted to fostering the next generation of city builders 鈥 will bring 13 undergraduate teams from universities across the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area (GTHA) together this weekend to offer solutions <a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/building-up-the-6ix-an-undergraduate-public-policy-case-competition-tickets-31136552266">to the area鈥檚 affordable housing problem</a>.</p> <p>鈥淲ith the cost of housing constantly increasing, there is a real concern that people, especially marginalized and vulnerable groups can be pushed out of their homes,鈥 said CivicSpark鈥檚 co-founder&nbsp;<strong>Edwin White Chacon</strong>, a fifth-year Arts &amp; Science undergrad who is majoring in political science, and ethics, society and law.</p> <p>The competition comes at a time when the University of Toronto is exploring different housing approaches to help make the city more livable and sustainable. 老司机直播 President <strong>Meric Gertler</strong>&nbsp;is working with the presidents of three other GTA universities&nbsp;to tackle affordable housing through a call for research proposals. 老司机直播 is also looking into building laneway houses in the Huron-Sussex neighbourhood bordering the St. George campus.</p> <h3><a href="/news/u-t-teams-ocad-york-and-ryerson-seek-research-proposals-addressing-toronto%E2%80%99s-affordable-housing">Read more about the call for research proposals on affordable housing&nbsp;</a></h3> <h3><a href="/news/u-t-experts-creative-solution-toronto-s-housing-problems-laneway-homes">Read more about laneway housing initiatives</a></h3> <p>Student teams have each had one month to analyse a specific case and prepare a 20-minute presentation that includes innovative and tangible solutions. They will be judged by a panel of urban experts and city planners, as well as professionals from Toronto Community Housing Corporation and the Ontario Ministry of Housing.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3754 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/civicspark.jpg?itok=GHoOiY1g" style="width: 232px; height: 300px; margin: 10px; float: left;" typeof="foaf:Image">The top two teams of the day will go head-to-head in solving a surprise case under the pressure of a very tight time frame.</p> <p>鈥淭he finalist teams will be given the same case, and 60 minutes to prepare their solutions&nbsp;and present them,鈥 said Chacon. &nbsp;</p> <p>Last year鈥檚 competition, which focused on transportation and public space, saw the final teams competing on ways to revitalize the space under Toronto鈥檚 Gardiner Expressway.</p> <p>For student participants, the benefits include professional development, insight into the complexities of regional issues, as well as valuable connections with experts and professionals in urban planning. The winning team gets the opportunity to have an informational interview with decision-makers in the GTHA鈥檚 public, private and not-for-profit sectors.</p> <p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/CivicSpark/">CivicSpark</a> was co-founded in 2015 as a chapter of CivicAction, a local city-building organization, by Chacon and undergraduate students <strong>Sara Urbina</strong>, who is majoring in economics and geography,&nbsp;and <strong>Joe Becker</strong>, who is studying political science and Canadian studies.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 10 Mar 2017 20:24:26 +0000 ullahnor 105688 at 老司机直播 teams up with OCAD, York and Ryerson to seek research proposals, addressing Toronto鈥檚 affordable housing challenge /news/u-t-teams-ocad-york-and-ryerson-seek-research-proposals-addressing-toronto-s-affordable-housing <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">老司机直播 teams up with OCAD, York and Ryerson to seek research proposals, addressing Toronto鈥檚 affordable housing challenge </span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-03-02-affordable-housing-presidents.jpg?h=b237a125&amp;itok=ue7SzUFO 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-03-02-affordable-housing-presidents.jpg?h=b237a125&amp;itok=_R_zKqDx 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-03-02-affordable-housing-presidents.jpg?h=b237a125&amp;itok=nvshFSrk 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-03-02-affordable-housing-presidents.jpg?h=b237a125&amp;itok=ue7SzUFO" alt="Photo of apartment for rent"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-03-02T13:28:36-05:00" title="Thursday, March 2, 2017 - 13:28" class="datetime">Thu, 03/02/2017 - 13:28</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">老司机直播 President Meric Gertler and the heads of three other GTA universities have joined forces to tackle affordable housing in the city (photo by Rafael Ferreira Pimentel via Flickr)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/romi-levine" hreflang="en">Romi Levine</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Romi Levine</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/urban" hreflang="en">urban</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cities" hreflang="en">Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/president-meric-gertler" hreflang="en">President Meric Gertler</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/affordable-housing" hreflang="en">Affordable Housing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/shauna-brail" hreflang="en">Shauna Brail</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/collaboration" hreflang="en">Collaboration</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Teams to submit proposals by March 24</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Soaring apartment prices in the city have students like <strong>Dilan Sen</strong> making compromises and spending beyond their means to pay rent.</p> <p>The fourth-year undergraduate at the University of Toronto lives in a bachelor apartment close to the university鈥檚 downtown Toronto campus 鈥 a cramped room she shares with another person. &nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淚 don't have my own room or privacy, and yet I pay so much,鈥 said&nbsp;the urban studies and human geography double major.</p> <p>Affordable housing for students like Sen is the next issue to be addressed by the presidents of <a href="/news/four-toronto-universities-join-forces-major-student-transit-survey">four GTA universities who collaborated last year on supporting StudentMoveTO</a>, a comprehensive survey that shed light on the long commutes students are taking daily in the GTA. The survey showed how the commute times affected course selection and extracurricular activities on campus.</p> <h3><a href="/news/studentmoveto">Read more about StudentMoveTO</a>&nbsp;</h3> <p>This time, the presidents of the University of Toronto, OCAD University, York University and Ryerson University are teaming up to address the challenge of affordable housing. They will jointly contribute $40,000 to support research on the issue and look for potential solutions to one of the city鈥檚 most pressing problems.</p> <p>Teams of students and faculty are encouraged to submit proposals by March 24.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淎s we did in the StudentMoveTO initiative, Toronto鈥檚 universities are combining our resources and talent to create an evidence base that allows us to address a major issue for our students,鈥 said President <strong>Meric Gertler</strong>.</p> <p><img alt="photo of President Gertler with presidents of the other universities" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3630 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/2017-03-02-photo%20of%20presidents.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 563px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>TVO's Agenda with Steve Paikin (centre) brought in the four GTA university presidents to talk about StudentMoveTO. They include from left to right, Ryerson University President&nbsp;Mohamed Lachemi, University of Toronto President Meric Gertler and OCAD University President Sara Diamond and York University President Mamdouh Shoukri</em></p> <p>The teams are being encouraged to have representatives from at least two different universities on each research proposal and to partner with community groups and organizations in the city.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭hey鈥檙e working together across disciplines, across institutions, across organizations,鈥 said&nbsp;<strong>Shauna Brail</strong>, 老司机直播鈥檚 presidential adviser on urban engagement and director of the urban studies program. 鈥淭he ideas and approaches we can come up with together are likely to be far more relevant, appealing and interesting than the ones we can come up with on our own.鈥</p> <p>Brail is coordinating the initiative, but the vision is that research from the successful proposals will drive the effort.&nbsp;</p> <p>Proposals can cover anything from identifying existing issues to pitching new and creative ways of addressing affordability in the city, said&nbsp;Brail.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭he open-endedness is intentional to help encourage people to think creatively, to be innovative in their ideas,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e can come up with new policy approaches, interventions or a pilot project that we might actually be able to initiate on our campuses, for our students or collectively as a group.鈥</p> <p>The StudentMoveTO survey showed that students鈥 long commuting times often were a result of a lack of affordable housing options in proximity to university campuses.&nbsp;</p> <p>To submit a proposal or for any inquiries about the affordable housing initiative, contact Brail at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:urban.advisor@utoronto.ca">urban.advisor@utoronto.ca</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 02 Mar 2017 18:28:36 +0000 ullahnor 105287 at