Carolyn Whitzman
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cwhitzman.bsky.social
Carolyn Whitzman
@cwhitzman.bsky.social

Senior housing researcher, University of Toronto School of Cities. Author, “Clara at the Door with a Revolver”(2023), “Home Truths: Fixing Canada’s Housing Crisis” ( 2024).

Carolyn Whitzman is a Canadian urban planner, community activist and author. She is a leading Canadian authority on housing and has worked in non-profit, government and academic sectors. She has received several awards for her work, and is the author of several books and peer-reviewed papers, also writing regularly for media outlets on these topics. .. more

Economics 26%
Political science 18%
Pinned
I recently published a paper for @irpp.bsky.social about how the enable deeply affordable homes with supports, the only proven way to end homelessness irpp.org/research-stu...

Thank you!

Reposted by Carolyn Whitzman

Coming back to this story, the care economy has been driving the Canadian job market since the pandemic, but especially 2024-2025, despite the clampdown on international study permits.
It's quite something that this sector is not part of the Canada Strong industrial strategy.

In which my hand gestures… go wild as I discuss the need to scale up housing that works.
🎙️We know what works. What’s missing is the political will to act at scale.

On Futureproofing Canada, Jennifer speaks with housing expert @cwhitzman.bsky.social about why Canada already knows how to address homelessness and housing affordability but continues to fall short.

irpp.org/podcast/what...

Reposted by Carolyn Whitzman

IRPP @irpp.org · 3d
🎙️We know what works. What’s missing is the political will to act at scale.

On Futureproofing Canada, Jennifer speaks with housing expert @cwhitzman.bsky.social about why Canada already knows how to address homelessness and housing affordability but continues to fall short.

irpp.org/podcast/what...

Reposted by Carolyn Whitzman

IRPP @irpp.org · 11d
🎧What broke housing in Canada and how do we fix it?

Jennifer speaks with housing expert @cwhitzman.bsky.social on the policy choices behind today’s crisis and the practical pathways forward, from non-market housing to financing reform.

Out on all platforms + YouTube.
irpp.org/podcast/what...
What Broke Housing in Canada, and How to Fix It - IRPP
In this episode of Futureproofing Canada, host Jennifer Ditchburn speaks with Carolyn Whitzman, one of the country’s leading housing experts, about how decades of policy choices created today’s housin...
irpp.org

The focus needs to be on maintaining permanent hsg & repair the individual’s social relationships.

Shelters can create homelessness but they are seen as the ‘simple’ solution. Sandra Clarkson from Calgary talked about how half+ 900 ppl using their shelter every night had been living there for over 3 months. Cash, creating permanent hsg has led to 3500 successful tenancies.

90% of youth in the Niagara program stayed housed. Mike talked about how outreach in small community schools became the basis for keeping kids in families, housing, school & local community.

At Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa public event on Emergency Shelter Transformation with Calgary Drop In & Niagara Resource Service for Youth, featuring Jennifer McKelvie MP & Catherine Cullen from CBC.

Excellent prescription.
@mark-carney.bsky.social says we should build with Canadian materials. I wrote a post earlier about this, calling for mass timber, missing middle housing, straw and wood fibre and more lloydalter.substack.com/p/how-canada...

Reposted by Carolyn Whitzman

@mark-carney.bsky.social says we should build with Canadian materials. I wrote a post earlier about this, calling for mass timber, missing middle housing, straw and wood fibre and more lloydalter.substack.com/p/how-canada...

I hope they make it after all.
On a downtown street in Minneapolis, as people stream out from the massive march, Mary Tyler Moore says “fuck ice.”
On a downtown street in Minneapolis, as people stream out from the massive march, Mary Tyler Moore says “fuck ice.”

In which I have much to say about planners as change agents.
🏘️ Canada’s #housing crisis is not accidental. It is the result of decades of political choices, market logics, and planning systems failing to centre people, #equity, and #care. 📖 Read "In and Against the System: with Dr. Carolyn Whitzman" @cwhitzman.bsky.social at www.WomenInUrbanism.ca/words.

Reposted by Carolyn Whitzman

🏘️ Canada’s #housing crisis is not accidental. It is the result of decades of political choices, market logics, and planning systems failing to centre people, #equity, and #care. 📖 Read "In and Against the System: with Dr. Carolyn Whitzman" @cwhitzman.bsky.social at www.WomenInUrbanism.ca/words.
It’s not about drugs. If it was, Trump wouldn’t have pardoned one of the largest narco traffickers in the world last month.

It’s about oil and regime change.

And they need a trial now to pretend that it isn’t. Especially to distract from his sinking under Epstein and skyrocketing healthcare costs.
This would be so popular at the national level if centrist Democrats let us use those words in that order
Mamdani: "The cost of childcare will no longer discourage young adults from starting a family, because we will deliver universal childcare for the many by taxing the wealthiest few"

"Home Truths" by @cwhitzman.bsky.social should be required reading for every elected official, at any level. A sharp history of housing policy in Canada, plus clear-headed policy solutions.

3/

Reposted by Carolyn Whitzman

"Home Truths" by @cwhitzman.bsky.social should be required reading for every elected official, at any level. A sharp history of housing policy in Canada, plus clear-headed policy solutions.

3/
Landmark move: New York City's comptroller @bradlander.bsky.social, with hundreds of billions under his control, recommends dropping investment giant Blackrock because they won't reckon with climate change.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
NYC’s Lander Recommends Dropping $42 Billion BlackRock Mandate
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is urging three of the city’s pension funds to drop BlackRock Inc. because of “inadequate” climate plans, the latest move to penalize investment firms for failing...
www.bloomberg.com

Reposted by Carolyn Whitzman

Here's the info for the Ottawa screening! I'm looking forward to this event, especially since @cwhitzman.bsky.social & I will talk housing as part of the Q&A discussion after the film!
The event is free & all are welcome

It’s been a while since I’ve seen an all white male panel like this (not shown: 2 online panelists, 1 moderator - also pale male) but worship of Ed Glaeser is a must as well

Reposted by Carolyn Whitzman

This is really important.

The main thing that makes it hard to achieve integrated nature and green in cities isn’t density of buildings or density of people — it's density of cars. And the more well-designed and integrated density of people & buildings you achieve, the fewer cars you need or want.

Reposted by Carolyn Whitzman

Nov. 9: Join Carolyn Whitzman Senior Housing Researcher, for a talk at Koffler Arts about artist Tracey Snelling’s Intergalactic Planetary exhibition and how they both explore the ways that marginalized communities navigate and shape urban spaces https://ow.ly/ucnx50Xl6mB

Reposted by Carolyn Whitzman

To do this, housing experts @cwhitzman.bsky.social
and Priya Perwani call for the creation of “at least 4.4 million affordable homes" to meet the target of 20 percent of our housing stock being affordable. maytree.com/publications...
Scaling up affordable housing through a ‘Build Canada Homes’ proposal
With a $40B annual investment, "Build Canada Homes" could deliver 200,000 non-market housing units annually – 40% of federal targets – by partnering with non-market developers and retaining government...
maytree.com

This is a great article - great visuals & great summary of why we need 4 storey apartments with single egress everywhere in North American cities.
Canada needs livable apartments to help fix the housing crisis. To do that, it must change the rulebook for both condos and rentals
by @theglobeandmail.com’s Erica Alini
h/t @blairscorgie.bsky.social

Cc: @uoftcities.bsky.social @housingnowto.bsky.social @cwhitzman.bsky.social

Reposted by Carolyn Whitzman

Canada needs livable apartments to help fix the housing crisis. To do that, it must change the rulebook for both condos and rentals
by @theglobeandmail.com’s Erica Alini
h/t @blairscorgie.bsky.social

Cc: @uoftcities.bsky.social @housingnowto.bsky.social @cwhitzman.bsky.social

Reposted by Carolyn Whitzman