by Jen Matthews | Sep 16, 2026 | All Publication, Community Data
Between June and August 2026, the Social Planning and Research Council (SPRC) carried out a series of pop-up community engagements at local food security programs across Hamilton, connecting with people to find out what their top municipal priorities are ahead of the... 
by Sara Mayo | Aug 25, 2026 | All Publication, Community Data, Poverty Reduction and Elimination, Research and Policy
New research report from SPRC Hamilton:Where’s the Exit? Persistence of poverty in Hamilton and Ontario, 1992–2023 Along with annual snapshot data that show rates of poverty overall in a community, it is helpful to understand “persistence of poverty”: how many people... 
by Ted Hildebrandt | Apr 20, 2026 | All Publication, Community Data, Equity and Inclusion, Research and Policy
The Community Benefits Framework – Understanding the Need report provides a data‑driven foundation to guide Hamilton’s development of a Community Benefits Framework (CBF). Using 2021 Census data and other validated sources, this report identifies population groups and... 
by Jen Matthews | Mar 19, 2026 | All Publication, Equity and Inclusion, Housing and Homelessness, Poverty Reduction and Elimination
A recent policy brief from Maytree highlights how Ontario’s deeply inadequate social assistance program directly contributes to the growing homelessness crisis across the province. Through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request for data from the Ministry of Children,... 
by Sara Mayo | Oct 2, 2025 | All Publication, Equity and Inclusion, Housing and Homelessness, Poverty Reduction and Elimination, Research and Policy
This is the first-ever report dedicated to Personal Needs Allowance (PNA), a hidden part of Ontario’s social assistance system. At only $149/month and frozen since 2019, the PNA is the only personal income for tenants in residential care facilities (RCFs). The report... 
by SPRC Hamilton | Aug 19, 2025 | All Publication, Equity and Inclusion, Poverty Reduction and Elimination
On June 24, 2025, SPRC Hamilton hosted a screening of the documentary, “A Matter of Justice: Climate Change in Black Communities in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.” Following the screening, Dr. Ingrid Waldron, the film’s documentarian and McMaster professor,...