Shared equity homeownership is a self-sustaining subsidy model for achieving affordable homeownership. Stable and affordable homeownership is an important way to build long-term wealth, increase a sense of agency, and create a path to economic security for individuals, communities, and future...

This toolkit provides: An overview of some solutions that shelter providers can implement to improve their service delivery and processes in a way that upholds the rights and dignity of shelter residents.  Helpful resources to support shelter providers, advocates and lived experts in...

Through well-timed and thoughtful updates to their employee savings program, the number of Best Buy employees participating in the savings program increased from 4,500 to more than 7,000 and employees’ savings grew $1.5M. Interventions included enhancements to the program marketing content,...

Visitors to the Learning Hub may read past copies of the quarterly Learning Hub Digest where we share quarterly updates to keep you informed on the latest financial empowerment, resources, research, and learning events. Issue 12: September 2024 Issue 11: July 2024 Issue 10: January 2024 Issue...

While available research indicates that gender-diverse persons experience intersecting challenges to accessing adequate housing in Canada, there has been limited human rights analysis of this group’s experiences. Available research indicates that trans and gender-diverse persons experience...

The Canada Disability Benefit is an opportunity to guarantee that people with disabilities can live a life with dignity and have an adequate standard of living. For the new Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) to meet its goal of financially supporting and reducing poverty of people with disabilities,...

Poverty stems from experiences of exclusion and isolation in addition to a lack of financial resources, especially for equity deserving members of society. When individuals feel disconnected and undervalued, it can lead to a cycle of poverty that can be further perpetuated by race, ethnicity,...

The National Housing Strategy Act (NHSA) of 2019 introduced landmark human rights mechanisms aimed at addressing systemic housing issues in Canada. These mechanisms enable rights holders who have borne the brunt of Canada’s housing crisis to have their voices heard, claim their rights, and offer...

This report presents the findings of research aimed at advancing social innovation and social finance in Canada. The study focused on understanding the enablers and barriers of social finance, as well as exploring why social purpose organizations (SPOs) engage in social finance. The research also...

Working poverty is pervasive, racialized, and until the pandemic, was increasing in Toronto and across Canada. Until the pandemic, this increase was counterintuitive, during 2006 to 2016, as most of this ten-year period had been characterized by one of the most prolonged economic recoveries in...

November 26 is National Economic Abuse Awareness day.  The Canadian Centre for Women's Empowerment has published their report on the state of economic abuse in Canada; championing financially strong futures for survivors.  Here are some additional resources of potential interest: The economic...

This discussion paper begins by explaining what is commonly understood as child care and how child care expenses currently enter the market basket measure (MBM) methodology. It then describes an alternative approach to account for child care expenses by incorporating them as a separate component...

While there is no official definition of responsible or sustainable investing, many investors would like to adopt an investment approach that combines environmental, socials and governance (ESG) factors with traditional financial research. The Autorité des marchés financiers has compiled...

In 2019, a comprehensive review (The Countervailing Power: Review of the coordination and funding for financial counselling services across Australia) of financial counselling services in Australia was undertaken and recommendations to ensure the long-term viability of the financial counselling...

In August 2018, the Government of Canada announced Opportunity for All – Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy. The Strategy included a commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goal's target of reducing poverty by 20% by 2020 and 50% by 2030. Opportunity for All included the adoption...

Canada is a prosperous country, yet in 2015 roughly 1 in 8 Canadians lived in poverty. The vision of Opportunity for All – Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy is a Canada without poverty, because we all suffer when our fellow citizens are left behind. We are all in this together, from...

As part of Momentum’s systems change planning process that was grounded in both participant and community experience, the issue of payday loans and other forms of high-cost credit (e.g., pawn, installment, rent-to-own, title and car loans) emerged as a priority issue for Momentum to address the...

This brief outlines how beneficiaries are using online platforms to identify breakdowns in public services, celebrate the positive impact of public policy and urge reform. Ways in which government can capitalize on widespread social media feedback and begin to build long-term measures to center...

 British Columbia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, sets a path to reduce overall poverty in B.C. by 25% and child poverty by 50% by 2024. With investments from across Government, TogetherBC reflects government’s commitment to reduce poverty and make life more affordable for British...

Nearly a year since the outbreak began, and eight months since it was declared a global pandemic, COVID-19 has devastated hundreds of thousands of lives and millions of people’s economic prospects throughout the country. To date, the effects of this crisis have been wide-reaching and profound,...

This policy brief outlines initial the measures that policy makers can make to increase citizen awareness about effective means of mitigation for the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its potential consequences on their financial resilience and...

The House of Commons Finance Committee recently released its call for pre-budget consultation briefs as the government considers its policy priorities for the 2021 federal budget. This toolkit created by Imagine Canada provides information on the reasons to submit a pre-budget consultation...

This policy backgrounder provides an overview of how provincial and territorial governments have decided to treat receipt of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) for those receiving social assistance and/or living in subsidized housing. It also looks at provisions for youth aging out of...

As the need for basic income grows, the Basic Income Canada Network (BICN) is often asked how Canada could best design and pay for it. To answer that in a detailed way, BICN asked a team to model some options that are fair, effective and feasible in Canada. The three options in this report do just...

As the connection between financial capability and social mobility is made evident, both public and private actors are increasingly interrogating the drivers of personal financial health and investing in the innovation of products and services designed to improve the condition of economically...