Rent subsidy eligibility boosted: Critics say lack of housing the real issue in Victoria
The province hopes to offer a rent break to more working families by raising the income threshold on B.C. Housing’s Rental Assistance Program to $35,000, Housing Minister Rich Coleman says. But the opposition is calling the move, which comes just one year after the threshold was raised to $28,000 from $20,000, a signal that the program isn’t working.
Graduate's PhD thesis to represent U of T
Laurie Mook's thesis was selected by the University of Toronto as the University's representative (one per university) for the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools Doctoral Thesis Competition, Social Sciences & Education. Each year the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools recognizes an outstanding dissertation that has been produced by a PhD candidate at one of its member institutions, with an award which is presented to the recipient at its annual meeting.
Co-ops help tackle big problems
Carol Hunter is too honest to pretend the sky is about to fall. She is bracing for a year of heavy clouds and stunted growth. Hunter is executive director of the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA), the national organization representing the country's 10,000 co-ops, credit unions and caisses populaires. Five years ago, the association received $5 million from the federal government to assist local groups wishing to start new co-ops or strengthen existing ones.
This series features presentations by UVic academics, graduate students, visiting faculty, and practitioners discussing topics related to Co-operatives and the Social Economy.
Buying in to a new idea
Housing co-operatives offer residents a resilient form of affordable housing. In a city where housing costs are soaring and the rental vacancy rate is at record lows, housing co-operatives are a welcome relief for many families of moderate income scrambling for affordable housing. While Victoria has 36 co-ops, the waiting lists are long and the barriers to starting new co-ops are many.
New website being launched that focuses on patient needs
Nova Scotians looking for access to quality medical information, medical coaching, or existing prescription drug renewals may soon find help is just a click away on their computer. Nova Scotia’s co-operatives and credit unions, in partnership with several Nova Scotia doctors, are preparing to launch a new web-based medical support clinic – Connecting People for Health Co-operative Ltd.
The Social Economy Student Network
