Podcasts

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#113 | Left Out in the Cold – Episode 4: Putting "Housing First" in Finland

"Left Out in the Cold" Series – Dec 04, 2025
In the fourth episode of this series, host Sarah Rowe is joined by Juha Kahila, Head of International Affairs at Y-Foundation, one of the key national developers of the Housing First principle in Finland. Juha explains why his country chose to adopt this approach, how their housing services provide dignified support to residents, and what other jurisdictions can do to decrease the rate and severity of homelessness in their population.  

#112 | Left Out in the Cold – Episode 3: Housing Available But Not Accessible

"Left Out in the Cold" Series – Nov 22, 2025
In the third episode of this series, host Sarah Rowe is joined by Marie-Josée Houle, Canada's first Federal Housing Advocate, and Stephanie Chipeur, who holds the Azrieli Accelerator Professorship in Law & Disability Policy at the University of Calgary's Faculty of Law and the School of Public Policy. Together, they discuss the right to adequate housing that is accessible, adaptable, and visitable for people with disabilities, seniors, and other equity-deserving groups.

#111 | Left Out in the Cold – Episode 2: Advancing the Right to Housing while Financialization Pulls the Strings

"Left Out in the Cold" Series – Nov 06, 2025
In this episode, host Sarah Rowe is joined by lawyer Michèle Biss, Executive Director of the National Right to Housing Network, and political economist Ricardo Tranjan, senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Together, they discuss the impact of financialization and the importance of implementing both social housing and rent controls to ensure that our housing system protects the most vulnerable.

#104 | Left Out in the Cold – Episode 1: Barriers to Adequate Housing and How Indigenous Housing Organizations are Filling the Gaps

"Left Out in the Cold" Series, Indigenous Peoples – May 08, 2025
Due to the cumulative effects of settler colonialism and the ongoing dispossession of Indigenous lands, Indigenous peoples in Canada experience significantly higher rates of housing insecurity than the general population. Existing mental health and substance use issues further exacerbate this issue, creating a cycle of insecurity. Host Sarah Rowe is joined by Margaret Pfoh, CEO of Aboriginal Housing Management Association, and Justin Marchand, CEO of Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services, to discuss how intergenerational trauma, historical injustice, and systemic discrimination contribute to the unique barriers that Indigenous peoples face when seeking adequate housing and explain the need for culture-based housing policy.