Community Foundation Boulder County’s Post

Are social services in Region of Peel underfunded by the provincial government? The answer is yes—and the gap may surprise you. Yesterday, Metamorphosis Network of Peel released a report prepared by Blueprint detailing a growing funding gap. Compared to residents in other Ontario municipalities, those in Peel Region receive $578 less per capita each year from the provincial government for municipal and social services—with a cumulative gap of over $868M per year. Blueprint combined multiple sources of existing public data on provincial government transfers to build a comprehensive picture of how Peel Region’s funding compared to peer municipalities in terms of size and growth. Available data suggests that the region’s nonprofit sector is growing less financially sustainable, and that municipal taxpayers are increasingly burdened with the costs of social services. This is a powerful example of how Blueprint harnesses public data for policy insight—and it’s highly replicable for other municipalities hoping to understand the current state of social services in their own communities. There’s a link to Blueprint’s full report on Metamorphosis’ website in the comments below. Cc. Thomas McManus Angela J Carter Gurpreet S. Malhotra Sharon Mayne Devine #dataanalytics #onpoli #onmuni #puttingdatatowork #CanadianCities #LocalGovernment #UrbanChallenges #UrbanResearch

Thank you Essma Bengabsia and Annie E. Casey Foundation for giving Care Access Real Estate (CARE) a shoutout in a recent ImpactAlpha "Inclusive Economy" piece entitled, "Addressing the broken child care system with impact investments." Essma writes, "The challenges to securing affordable, stable spaces for child care programs are significant. They include lack of access to capital, difficulty obtaining proper licensing for facilities and managing relationships with landlords to keep rents affordable. CARE addresses these challenges by purchasing properties for day care centers and home-based child care, which are renovated to meet licensing requirements. CARE then leases these properties to providers and serves as an accommodating landlord. For example, Nevada is a 'child care desert,' where there is only one licensed child care slot for every three children statewide. To address this shortage, CARE acquired residential properties in Clark County, Nevada. It recruited providers with help from local public and private partners and gave tenants the option to purchase their properties. Consistent with one of KIDS COUNT’s key recommendations for strengthening the child care system, the state of Nevada has provided significant grant support for CARE. Altogether, CARE is leveraging local partnerships, public sector support and impact investment capital to build community wealth and infrastructure by addressing the child care shortage in Nevada and nationally." Thank you for your support, Annie E. Casey Foundation! 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘦: 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘋𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘯𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. #impactinvesting #childcarerealestate #socialpurposerealestate #investinginchildcare

I am on the board of https://lnkd.in/eyt2egFM , which focuses on increasing choice, self-determination, and opportunity among low-income families, particularly those in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, by promoting housing mobility nationally. I’m getting in touch because we’ve just launched a campaign to raise funds for a vital new initiative. As mobility programs come online in more communities, it’s crucial to emphasize the lived experiences and insights of HCV and housing mobility program participants to develop effective, participant-driven interventions. This demands a dedicated structure and resources for participant leadership in policy advocacy, field-building, and organizational/program direction. We are therefore fundraising for the Mobility Works Participant Leadership Program (PLP) to bridge the gap between high-level policy discussions and the real-world challenges faced by families in the HCV program. The PLP has two primary components: A national participant leadership council that will be a forum for developing a community of practice among participants from around the country, providing opportunities for peer exchange and skill building in policy, organizing, public speaking, board service, and other relevant topics for effective leadership. A micro-grant initiative to incentivize our Housing Mobility Network members (housing mobility programs) to initiate local participant leadership activities at their organizations.

The 2023 True Cost of Living Report for NYC shows the cost of basic needs rising faster than earnings so that 1/2 of NYC families lack enough income to survive without assistance The survey captures the monthly cost of basic needs for a family of 1 adult + 2 school-age kids as: $7956 - South Manhattan $7617 - Northwest Brooklyn $5830 - North Manhattan $5627 - Queens County $5408 - Brooklyn $5182 - Staten Island $4977 - The Bronx According to the new Citizens Budget Commission survey, New Yorkers rate the quality of life as "not good" & much worse than in 2017...... Only 50% of more than 6,000 New Yorkers surveyed, plan to stay - if they can Additional local news link: https://lnkd.in/eq85_JTR https://lnkd.in/eWAgZdnY #nyc #costofliving #society #qualityoflife #finance #income #governmentassistance #wages #inflation #economy #childcare #groceries #transportation #taxes #healthcare #housing #unitedway #nonprofits #covid19pandemic

Amazing program going on on Philly through mid 2025 - give people struggling economically free transit! We know Universal Basic Income works, so here's an easy intervention a city can make in that vein - give people what they need and leave it to them to use it in a way that bolsters their lives. My question is.... how will this be evaluated? Any ideas? Some thoughts on my part are... - Tracking the trips on the cards. Do they show consistent patterns that might indicate use to travel to work? Health appointments? Do they reveal opportunities to better place services such as child care? - On the spot surveys and conversations in stations with high usage - learn more about the population using the card and their neighborhoods and empower them in creating research about their communities - by showing up in their spaces (maybe in partnership with organizations already serving people in these neighborhoods). The automatic enrollment is genius. What a great way to both show trust and make this easy to use. Imagine the boost people get when their city sends them a ready to go card and says, "Just go where you need to." If you read down, you'll see that to reach those without US citizenship (for whom 10% of cards were reserved) the team worked with organizations serving this population. Partnering with those who your target population already trusts... BRILLIANT!!! https://lnkd.in/epqn8a9N

As Ontario’s Minister of Community and Social Services, I was proud to launch Ontario’s Basic Income Pilot. The pilot’s main purpose was to test how Basic Income interacted with other programs, and what its impact was, to ensure we had a good idea of what worked before moving forward. That was the right approach. Today, the House voted on Bill C-223—which is very different. Bill C-223 calls on the Ministry of Finance to develop a national framework for the implementation of a Guaranteed Basic Income program for all of Canada, for anyone over 17, including Permanent Residents, temporary workers and refugee claimants. I sympathize with the intent—but I don’t agree with the approach. It’s completely different from Ontario’s 3-year pilot program, which was designed with the help of Hugh Segal, who championed the cause of Basic Income for many years. Our pilot included matched communities of similar demographics that did not receive Basic Income, so we could study the impact. Sadly, Doug Ford’s government killed the initiative shortly after coming to office. The information the pilot would have generated could have served as an important stepping stone. While launching $10 a day child care, National Pharmacare, and the Canadian Dental Care program was complex, we benefited from precedents in terms numerous provincial programs to provide us with some sense of what works, what doesn’t, and how different programs interact. That’s not the case with Basic Income in Canada. Moving forward with a pilot first is the right approach. It would provide us with the information we need to design a program that works. It's an essential step before we attempt to launch on a program on a national scale.

The Ripple Effect: Why Affordable Housing Matters to Everyone Imagine a city brimming with potential. Businesses are booming, there's a vibrant mix of cultures, and a sense of opportunity hangs in the air. But beneath this facade, a silent struggle unfolds. People who keep the city running – teachers, nurses, service workers – can't afford to live there. This is the reality of a community lacking affordable housing. Affordable housing isn't just about putting a roof over someone's head. It's the cornerstone of a thriving society. Here's why it matters to everyone, not just those in immediate need: Empowering our workforce: Teachers can't inspire young minds if they're constantly worried about eviction. Nurses can't give their all if they're commuting for hours. Affordable housing allows our essential workers to live near their jobs, boosting productivity and strengthening the local economy. Building stronger communities: Diverse, inclusive communities are the heart of a healthy society. Affordable housing fosters this by allowing people from all walks of life to live near each other. This leads to a richer cultural exchange, increased social capital, and a stronger sense of community. So, what can we do? The responsibility doesn't lie solely with policymakers. Here are some ways we can all be advocates for affordable housing: Educate yourself and others: Knowledge is power. The more we understand the issue, the better equipped we are to advocate for solutions. Support organizations working towards affordable housing: Many non-profit organizations are on the frontlines of this battle. Lend your voice, volunteer your time, or donate if you're able. I can’t wait for Dream Big Again nonprofit to be fully functional. We will provide housing and workforce development training to young mothers and aged out foster children. Affordable housing isn't a handout, it's an investment. It's an investment in our people, our communities, and our collective future. Let's work together to ensure everyone has a safe, decent, and affordable place to call home. What are your thoughts on the importance of affordable housing? Share your ideas in the comments below! #affordablehousing #community #economicdevelopment #opportunity

https://lnkd.in/efMtUzxk "Used by very few people" - but the most #vulnerable people. From a position of #ProductivePessimism, here's some thoughts on this article: 1. Safeguarding Children: . #PHSE has to become a mandatory element of education, with homeschooling parents required to pay for external education in this area. . Fine private landlords who do not include genuinely affordable family housing in their portfolios . Oblige business landlords to open unused properties as properly maintained social spaces if they remain unlet otherwise for more than six months. These landlords are then required to pay a fee to the council to be appointed a Safeguarding trained mentor who can help them make the social space genuinely profitable. 2. Adult Social Care . We need to start NOW building 'care communities', where people can buy or rent level-access, #disabilityinclusive properties, set in a #dementiafriendly 'town' set up, where businesses are enabled to purchase units on a monthly payment schedule, so that residents benefit from consistency, but the scheme still generates income. . A #UniversalBasicIncome, which includes sufficient allowance for people to purchase incontinence pads/pants, disability aids, social support, etc needs to be brought in with immediate effect. 3. Transport for #SEND children . ALL schools are required to have full SEND provision, and the means to support parents to homeschool if they are unable to get their children to their local school safely themselves. Schools are fined for lacking/refusing quality SEND provision. 4. Temporary housing costs . Make #housing a right, not a privilege. Local authorities are the ONLY providers of housing, with UBI covering the genuine costs of quality, compliant, disability-accessible housing. We have more #emptyproperties in the UK than we have #homeless people - we could simply house people in decent properties. #UKLocalAuthorities - reach out to theproductivepessimist@yahoo.com for support in these and other areas.

The Community Economic Development (CED) program invests in businesses that support more inclusive, productive, and competitive economies, like high-quality childcare businesses. Check out this success story! https://lnkd.in/e6kvym52 #CEDMonth

My comments in this article: the 20 largest children’s ‘care home’ companies registered profits of £300m+ each, last year. That’s over £6billion, on only 20 companies, many of which are private equity CO’s offshoring these profits - that isn’t right. As a Conservative I don’t mind reasonable profits being made but this is gross profiteering on the backs of young people’s misfortune. Our costs at Derbyshire County Council went from c£14m in 2018/19 to £47.5m (projected) in 2023/24. This isn’t sustainable. It’s not even as if we’re getting the desired outcomes for these young people. This distorted uncompetitive market needs sorting. https://lnkd.in/exYigasT