Daniel McCulloch is a Lecturer in Criminology and Social Policy at The Open University (UK). His research has explored aspects of homelessness such as the ways in which people experiencing homelessness talk about their experiences, as well as the ways in which their lives are discussed in government policy. In addition to this, he has also carried out research which examines the experiences of Deaf prisoners in the UK, and studies exploring research methods in the social sciences.

Cheyanne Ratnam is passionate about equity and developing inclusive and accessible spaces and processes. She joins On the Way Home and talks about being a first voice advocate and the groundbreaking work she is doing with the Ontario government to meaningfully change the aging out process of youth in care. Cheyanne has dedicated much of her time and expertise in child welfare and homelessness. She is the Co-founder/Executive Lead of the Ontario Children’s Advancement Coalition. She serves on the Board of the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, she’s a member of the Equity and Inclusion Council of the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada, among many others.

Criminalizing people experiencing homelessness is a tragic reality that must end. Erin Dej is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminology at Wilfrid Laurier University. She is a critical criminologist who has been doing research on homelessness for over a decade, focusing on how to create meaningful inclusion for people who have experienced homelessness, with the ultimate aim of preventing and ending homelessness in Canada. She recently published her first book, “A Complex Exile: Homelessness and Social Exclusion in Canada”.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) recently announced $2 million in funding for the National Housing Strategy Demonstrations Initiative, for a 2021 open call competition for Community Land Trusts and Land Assembly solutions. Listen to CMHC’s Ramya, Carlos and Anne-Marie tell us about how to successfully apply and receive between $100,000 to $250,000 for a project. This On the Way Home episode was brought to you by the good people at the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Nick Gefucia is a lawyer and Vice President of Affordable Housing with EllisDon Capital where he provides leadership to EllisDon’s dedicated national affordable housing team, EllisDon Community Builders. Nick is an experienced project development professional having led the commercial and legal aspects in a multitude of infrastructure and real estate transactions across Canada. We talk to Nick about how Community Builders is delivering affordable housing to folks and the gaps they’re trying to fill in the crisis.

Carole Saab is the CEO of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and a tireless champion for cities and communities–driving an ambitious vision for local government leadership in building a more sustainable, prosperous, and inclusive Canada. We talk to her about local governments across the country getting more involved in the housing crisis and advocating for real solutions.

Let’s talk about the Land Trust model! How can it help solve the housing affordability crisis? Hear from Melissa Estable, Manager of the Co-operative Housing Development with CHF Canada, and Joshua Bénard, VP of Real Estate Development with Habitat GTA and Board Member of Community Affordable Housing Solutions. Learn about Land Trusts as a solution and some amazing examples of where they’re working!

Kasari Govender took office as B.C.’s first independent Human Rights Commissioner in 2019. We talk to her about the groundbreaking work she’s doing as commissioner and her office’s recent report on the grandmother’s perspective, which is about disaggregating data collection. Her role is to lead the promotion and protection of human rights in British Columbia through the Office of the Human Rights Commissioner. Govender has devoted her life to promoting human rights as a lawyer and community builder in an effort to create a more equitable and just province.

Margaret Pfoh is Tsimshian from the Eagle Clan of the Gitga’at First Nation. She joined the non-profit housing sector 25 years ago and is the CEO of the Aboriginal Housing Management Association. She talks to us about AHMA as the first housing authority of its kind in Canada and how the model could be replicated across the country–delivering housing for Indigenous by Indigenous Peoples. 

Reporting from the font lines of the drug poisoning crisis, Garth Mullins is a drug user activist and award-winning radio documentarian. He is host and executive producer of the Crackdown Podcast where drug users cover the drug war as war correspondents. This is Garth’s second overdose crisis. He used injection heroin for over a decade and is now on methadone. He is a member of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users and is also a trade union organizer and musician.