Working on the frontlines with people experiencing homelessness — or those living one crisis away from it — is some of the most demanding and critical work in our community. While many agencies include housing support in their mandates, the system remains fragmented and difficult to navigate.

In this episode, host  Walter Sendzik speaks with Karrie Porter, a former St. Catharines city councillor and long-time social housing advocate. Karrie shares her vision for a more connected, coordinated approach to housing support — one that bridges the divide between frontline workers and those in urgent need of safe, stable housing. 

How did the City of Houston manage to significantly reduce homelessness? The answer lies in an unexpected but powerful tool: accurate, real-time data. On this episode of Searching for Solutions, we explore how data is transforming the fight against homelessness — both globally and right here in Niagara.

Host Walter Sendzik is joined by Jeffrey Sinclair, Homelessness Services Manager at Niagara Region, to discuss the Built for Zero model — an innovative approach that prioritizes data-driven strategies to understand and address homelessness at the individual level. We dive into how Niagara is applying this model, what challenges exist, and how real-time data collection is creating tailored, effective solutions that are helping people transition from unhoused to housed.

Cities are changes planning regulations and offering incentives for homeowners to build accessory dwelling units as a means to create more affordable livings spaces.

Xavier Toby, founder of Axe Building in St. Catharines, Ontario, has a created a one-stop shop for prefabricated housing services from studio units to four-bed accessory dwelling units built with state-of-the-art and sustainable materials and technologies to help homeowners affordably build accessory dwellings. 

And when Property Brothers - the popular HGTV show featuring Drew and Jonathan - join a Council meeting to talk about the benefits of accessory dwelling units incentive programs and how Axe Building is a leading company in this niche building space, you know something unique is happening. 

When you talk to young people entering the working world, one of their biggest concerns is securing affordable housing. The bigger the city, the more difficult it is to find safe and affordable housing for young people. 

On this episode of Searching for Solutions, we talk with Robert Barnard, founder of Toboggan Flats and Theodore Heintzman, Research and Outreach Coordinator at Toboggan Flats about creating living spaces for young people from repurposed vacant in downtowns across Canada. 

Finding new and creative ways to house people is one of the keys to addressing the housing shortages in many communities across the country.  

The world's climate is accelerating due to humans. It's a fact. Humans have the abilities to alter this pathway that is currently leading towards greater environmental disasters, but what is getting in the way?

Dr. Julia Baird, Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Human Dimensions of Water Resources and Water Resilience and Associate Professor at Brock University's Environmental Sustainability Research Centre is exploring the role of empathy as it relates to gaining positive traction on climate actions. 

On this episode of Searching for Solutions, we talk about water sustainability, the importance of empathy as a means to get more people focused on environmental issues, and how time is running for us to making meaningful differences for future generations. 

Mayors are often the front lines of leadership. In any given community, it is the mayor who is the most visible elected official. During times of crisis, there is a role to play for a mayor to help lead a city through a challenging period. 

Jeff Lehman, former Mayor of Barrie, and current Chair of Muskoka District Council shares his experiences during some challenging times as mayor from destructive tornadoes to the pandemic. Elected officials - especially at the local level - can play an important role in helping to manage a community through a crisis. 

In this episode of Search for Solutions, Jeff Lehman and I talk about the role of mayors during a community crisis. 

The political debate around homelessness often falls into two camps. Some Canadians feel threatened by homeless people, believing they are a source of crime, and some business owners think they keep customers away. People in that camp mostly just want them gone from the streets. The other camp argues that they are citizens in desperate need rather than a nuisance.

Mayor Dan Carter, who is now in his second term as Mayor of Oshawa, Ontario, has made dealing with homeless people, addictions and mental health issues top priorities during his time as mayor. 

In this episode of Search for Solutions, Mayor Carter brings an unique perspective about what governments need to do based on his time spent on the streets earlier in his life. 

Ideas on how to help in communities come in all shapes and sizes. No idea is too big and no idea is too small when it comes finding ways to help those who are struggling with homelessness. Sometimes great ideas coming while driving on a highway late at night listening to the radio.

Sam Baio, founder of Socks for Change, founded a unique social enterprise while listening to a radio program about homelessness and the impact Canadian winters have on the feet of those who are struggling on our streets. Baio, also founder of West 49, the Canadian action sports and skateboard clothing chain that had 140 stores across Canada before he sold it to Australian company Billabong in 2010 knows a thing or two about clothing.

With his contacts clothing industry and passion to try and make a difference, Socks for Change was born that provides Canadian-made wool socks to social agencies. It has grown substantially since 2016. Through his efforts to provide warm, wet resistant wool socks for men and women in shelters and on the streets, he is both raising awareness about homelessness and making a difference.

To learn more or make an online donation, visit socksforchange.ca

We are living in a period of increasing rage and anger driven by the polarization of politics and social media. Last fall Pollara Strategic Insights’ Rage Index showed Canadians are an angry bunch and it has an impact on communities, workplaces and families. 

Julie A. Christiansen is an award-winning speaker, author, and therapist with nearly 30 years of experience in the community services field. Her latest book The Rise of Rage is a timely self-discovery book that focuses on learning about anger, what fuels it and how to gain control of it before it controls your life.

Part of finding solutions to the issues facing our communities is to look within to see how we are reacting to our surrounding environments. Rise of Rage has helped me better manage my frustrations and it has given me the tools to think about my emotions and how I react to situations in a more positive way. 

In university and college towns, the pressure for housing has exhausted the housing market due to a continuous increase in enrolments that hasn't been matched by an increase in on-campus student living spaces. This has created an even more intense housing crisis for those communities. 

On this episode of Searching for Solutions, Rylan Kinnon, Co-Founder & CEO of SpacesShared talks about a novel homesharing technology that lets students who are looking for a safe, affordable place to stay quickly and affordably connect with older adult hosts. Launched in 2023, SpacesShared matches compatible students and older adults interested in homesharing. it's a great story about a micro solution to a housing crisis that is going to require many more of these kind of ideas to unlock more much needed housing spaces in our communities.