What is Civicspark?

As a chapter of CivicAction, we believe in growing strong civic leaders for today and tomorrow. That's why we have developed the region's only undergraduate Public Policy Case Competition. Designed to give students the opportunity to provide innovative policy proposals to a panel of judges comprised of experts and professionals in their respective fields.

Affordable Housing were the topics for the second annual CivicSpark Public Policy Case Competition. Our judges included individuals from Toronto Community Housing, Ontario Ministry of Housing, Human Rights Legal Centre, and the Canadian Urban Institute.

The topic of 2017's COMPETITION was Affordable Housing

"In 2014, the Wellesley Institute calculated that the "affordable housing wage" for a one-bedroom apartment in Toronto was $41,400. Yet, the report went on, someone earning the then-newly announced minimum wage of $11 per hour and working 40 hours each week—already an uncertain scenario—would earn just $22,800. The minimum wage has since gone up to $11.40, allowing workers to bring home a grand total of $23,712. In other words, making rent and living comfortably is unlikely for everyone earning anything near minimum wage and working full time. For the many part-time workers in the city, it’s even further out of reach."                  -Tannara Yelland, Torontoist.

The urgency of this issue is why we chose affordable housing as our topic for 2017. 

Learn more about the competition by clicking the button below.