This episode breaks down how NIMBYism—“Not In My Back Yard”—turns reasonable worries into barriers that keep people unhoused. We unpack the emotional fears, the common myths about who becomes homeless, and the structural causes like housing costs, low wages, healthcare gaps, and criminal-legal barriers.

Then we shift to solutions: more deeply affordable housing, prevention and emergency assistance, supportive services, and accountable project planning that treats people like neighbors instead of hazards. If the conversation makes you uncomfortable, lean into it—that’s where change starts.

nimbyism, the barrier between real solutions

winter survival, homelessness in the cold

continued why communities can't stand still

Welcome back to the North of Fair podcast on Podbean Live.

This episode explains why “standing still” isn’t neutral: keeping the same rules and housing patterns pushes prices up and pushes people out. We define deeply affordable housing, show how single‑family zoning limits supply and access, and explain how modest zoning changes (duplexes, triplexes, backyard homes) can stabilize neighborhoods without erasing character.

Listen for practical signs of meaningful change and actions you can take—learn your zoning map, show up to meetings, and push for policies that build homes people can actually afford so communities stay inclusive and functional.

10,000 deeply affordable homes building around a crisis

cost of living, food, rent, ODSP, living wage, GST proposal

Today’s episode breaks down non-market housing—co‑ops, social and non‑profit units, and rent‑geared‑to‑income homes—and explains why Canada’s existing stock (roughly 600,000–700,000 units) still leaves a gap of about 250,000 deeply affordable homes.

We connect the numbers to real lives: people on ODSP, OW, OAS/GIS, and low‑wage workers face housing instability that market supply alone won’t fix. The episode argues for a durable, mixed approach to build homes priced to incomes, not profits, so people can live with stability and dignity.

the pressure point; how London is being squeezed from both sides of a regional crisis

This episode examines what happens when cities shift funding from street outreach to a single centralized hub: who benefits, who’s pushed further from help, and the real-life risks when people can’t—or won’t—come through the door. We unpack outreach, drop-ins, shelters and hubs, show how trust, early warning data, and lifesaving contacts vanish when outreach is defunded, and expose the costs that show up in ERs, crises, and lost lives.

Listen for practical solutions: keep outreach as essential infrastructure, treat hubs as one node in a network, build low-barrier pathways, and measure success by who gets reached and stabilized, not just who walks in.