Ron Kneebone

Do you actually have something useful to say about homelessness? Great! Then come say it at the 9th Annual Data That Makes A Difference conference, May 27 and 28 in Calgary. @policyschool.bsky.social

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Every New Year's Eve I remind myself of this passage from The Dead and think of those I have lost. This year, it was my Mom.

The social safety net has many holes that charitable organizations constantly try to repair. If you are able, they appreciate your support. All the best for the holidays from the social policy research team at the School of Public Policy. www.policyschool.ca 2/2

This month, Social Policy Trends looks back on the work we have done during 2025. The social safety net is intended to catch people before they fall too far or too hard and in this way give them a chance to recover. 1/2
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No kidding. I guess there’s a business case after all. How much did the stupidity of the past 10 years cost Canada and Canadians?

That's a great thing to be thinking about. Govts tend to focus "employment growth" strategies on large employers and high-tech industries. My guess is that the effectiveness of those strategies for poverty reduction pale in comparison to strategies that support small retailers and employers.

This month Social Policy Trends reminds us that anti-poverty initiatives and policies to encourage employment growth are both effective ways of reducing poverty. Pursuing one strategy to the exclusion of the other can leave important gains unrealized.
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Yes, he sure was.

Between 2016 and 2023, the number of domestic violence beds have increased by 55% in Toronto, 95% in Calgary, 115% in Montreal, and 163% Vancouver. Increase in demand for additional spaces in domestic violence shelters represents one of the unexpected consequences and costs of the housing crisis. /4

But if no housing is to be found, women and their children are forced to remain in what was supposed to be temporary shelter. In response, providers have had to dramatically increase the number of beds they provide and to accommodate longer stays. 3/4

High rents and the housing shortage they signal make it more difficult for women and children to escape their abusers. Fortunately, domestic violence shelters are available to provide temporary housing while more permanent housing is sought. 2/4

After a short hiatus, Social Policy Trends is back! This month we describe how the housing crisis impacts the victims of domestic violence and the organizations that provide them with temporary shelter. 1/4
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The Homelessness Income Cut-Off (HICO): A New Benchmark to Prevent Homelessness in Canada | HomelessHub The Homelessness Income Cut-Off (HICO) redefines how we identify and respond to housing vulnerability, shifting our focus from poverty in general to the specific point at which people become homeless.

How do we know when someone is at very high risk of homelessness? Compare their income to the Homelessness Income Cut Off.
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It would catch me eating peanut butter straight from the jar with a spoon.

Should Alberta withhold social services for immigrants? Podcast Episode · The Courtney Theriault Show · 2025-06-25 · 9m

Immigration expert Robert Falconer says Alberta’s immigration survey is vague on which services could be withheld and could include essentials like health care. He says it may have “serious implications" and that the term "non-citizen" could even mean PR holders

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Data on food bank use is an underappreciated source of information on the rising risk of homelessness and offers a way of possibly preventing some forms of homelessness before it begins. /fin

An implication is that for many individuals and families, homelessness is the end result of a steady worsening of one's circumstances. Knowing this, policymakers and service agencies have the opportunity to apply well-timed interventions to prevent homelessness from happening.

In the year immediately prior to entering a homeless shelter, reliance on a food bank increased by over 70% relative to 5 years prior.

In the study, we observed how the same people make use of both food banks and homeless shelters. The data reveal that in the 5 years prior to entering a homeless shelter for the first time, reliance on a food bank steadily increased.

For those who like their policy studies in bite-sized pieces, today the social policy research team at the School of Public Policy has released a one-page description of a key result from a recent research paper. This is part of our Social Policy Trends series. 🧵
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Taking advantage of this opportunity requires greater attention being paid to the common experiences of individuals and families relying on food banks and those facing the threat of homelessness. /fin

An implication of this result is that for many, homelessness is the end result of a steady worsening of one's circumstances. Knowing this, policymakers and service agencies have the opportunity to apply well-timed interventions to prevent homelessness from happening.

With these data, we show that for many individuals and families, losing housing follows a large increase in food bank use over the preceding 5 years.

Today, we released a study linking two administrative datasets, one describing the use of food banks, the other describing the use of homeless shelters. 🧵
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I think the US is about 5 days away from the Reichstag fire.

My mom passed away yesterday. She was 98. A hottie nurse in her day.

Congratulations Lee. The first of many, I am sure.

Currently, only Alberta and Quebec index all the types of assistance they provide to a CPI. The CPI is not a great measure of inflation as it is experienced by people with low income but it is better than relying on politicians to make changes when it suits them to do so. /fin

Two levels of government contribute to providing families with social assistance and they provide that assistance in a variety ways. Some sources of social assistance are indexed for inflation but some are not. Provinces differ in the amount of inflation protection they provide.

This month, Social Policy Trends looks at the extent to which Canadian governments provide inflation protection for families dependent upon social assistance. Short 🧵
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