Special Statements

Ontario is at a critical point. Housing need is rising, homelessness is growing, federal investment is starting to move but new home construction is slowing in Ontario. Decisions made now will set the course for years. The legislative changes to the Residential Tenancies Act in Schedule 12 of Bill 60, move policy in the wrong direction and will serve to escalate the homelessness crisis across Ontario. The focus should be on keeping people housed while new supply comes online.

In the 2025 provincial budget, United Way Greater Toronto urges government to act on policy solutions that ensure Ontarians have access to the basic building blocks of a good life, supporting a stronger, more resilient Ontario.

At United Way, we know that the equitable neighbourhoods and communities we work towards are only achievable if people are able to enjoy financial stability along with housing stability, access to services and opportunities to engage in shaping their communities.

On May 29th, United Way Greater Toronto, Sheridan College, Mississauga Board of Trade and the Metamorphosis Network will host leading mayoral candidates for a debate on the critical social and economic challenges facing Mississauga.

As the Government of Ontario outlines its budget priorities for the coming year, Ontario United Ways are calling for investment in, and engagement of, the non-profit sector to deliver the full range of housing options, particularly the affordable and deeply affordable homes, so desperately needed in this province.

I have seen firsthand the difference community services can make. And if we, as a society, do not invest in their ongoing ability to support people through life’s challenges, we may all come to understand the difference their absence can make.

United Way Greater Toronto has again been recognized as an Ontario Living Wage Employer. 

United Way Greater Toronto makes recommendations to the Government of Ontario on portable benefits policy to mitigate the impact of precarious employment on the health and wellbeing of workers and the provincial economy.

United Ways across Ontario, Tower Renewal Partnership, and Neighbourhood Change Research Partnership make recommendations to the provincial government on preserving and renewing existing affordable rental stock so that low-income Ontarians can remain safely and securely housed.

More people experience homelessness than ever before, and services meant to help are at a breaking point. We have the resources to end this crisis.

This op-ed co-written by UWGT CEO Daniele Zanotti and our 2022 Campaign Chair, BMO CEO Darryl White, emphasizes the importance of collaborating across sectors to address poverty, and highlights our specific work in the Greater Golden Mile on the Inclusive Local Economic Opportunity Initiative.

United Way Greater Toronto, working with partners including the Peel Poverty Reduction Strategy, has been recognized as an Ontario Living Wage Employer at the Champion level.