The Latest

Contribute. We love to hear your thoughts, your musings and your latest work. Please share with us!
Write a post

Nick Falvo

Nick Falvo
Nick Falvo is a Calgary-based research consultant with a PhD in public policy. His decade-long experience working front-line with individuals experiencing homelessness in Toronto provides him a deep understanding of the ‘on the ground’ phenomena that influence poverty, a lack of affordable housing and homelessness. While at Carleton University, Nick developed and taught one of Canada’s only university-level courses on affordable housing and homelessness. He also led two research projects looking at poverty, affordable housing and homelessness in Canada’s North. From 2015 until 2019, Nick worked as Director of Research and Data at the Calgary Homeless Foundation. Nick is currently President of Nick Falvo Consulting Inc. You can check out his website at www.nickfalvo.ca.
Find me on:

Recent Posts

Lifting singles out of poverty in Canada

Posted by Nick Falvo on December 14, 2020

I’ve written a report for the Montreal-based Institute for Research on Public Policy making the case for higher social assistance benefit levels for employable single adults without dependants. 

Read More

Social assistance: Do higher benefit levels lead to higher caseloads?

Posted by Nick Falvo on October 29, 2020

I’ve recently co-authored a journal article with Ali Jadidzadeh that asks the question: Do higher social assistance benefit levels lead to greater take-up? The short answer is yes, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t increase benefit levels.

Read More

10 Things to Know About Poverty Measurement in Canada

Posted by Nick Falvo on November 8, 2019

This article was originally published at nickfalvo.ca

On October 29, I gave a guest presentation to Professor Filipe Duarte’s master’s seminar class at the University of Windsor. The topic of my presentation was poverty measurement in Canada.

Read More

The Use of Homelessness Shelters by Indigenous Peoples in Canada

Posted by Nick Falvo on October 11, 2019
The Canadian Press recently gained access to results of analysis of the use of homeless shelters across Canada by Indigenous peoples. The results are summarized in a March 2019 slide presentation obtained by Jordan Press through an Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) request, and are discussed in this Canadian Press article. They are based on a research project conducted by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).
Read More

Homelessness, Harm reduction and Housing First

Posted by Nick Falvo on June 4, 2019

I was recently invited to give a presentation at a two-day event discussing the overdose crisis and First Nations, with a focus on southern Alberta. My presentation focused on homelessness, substance use, harm reduction and Housing First.

With this in mind, here are 10 things to know:

Read More

The Introduction and Evolution of Child Benefits in Canada

Posted by Nick Falvo on May 5, 2017

Child benefits have significant potential to reduce homelessness and the need for emergency shelter beds by putting more money into the hands of low-income parents. They also can (and do) reduce child poverty, though not always as much as governments claim. And because they do not carry the same stigma as other forms of poverty-reduction initiatives (such as social assistance and social housing), they’re also popular among voters—certainly more popular than social assistance benefits for adults. Many elected officials are therefore more eager to create and enhance child benefits than they are to spend on other forms of poverty-reduction.

Since they were first established child benefits in Canada have changed significantly in their intention, their recipients, and their method of delivery. Here’s an eight-step guide to that evolution.

Read More