Welcome to Civic Labs
The Halton Housing Action Network (HHAN) holds monthly working meetings to continue our collective effort for housing for all. Stay tuned for the next one!
Our September meetings are Monday the 28th at 10 am and 6pm. You can register here:
Want to learn more about how to connect with your local or regional council? Interested in delegating?
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Check out our civic engagement cheat sheet!
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You can also watch this video to learn how!
Several active citizens have started documenting their civic engagement through the CDH blog. Read their stories below:
Halton Housing Action Network PSA Videos
The HHAN helped develop this public service announcements to both inform the community about the importance of ensuring housing for everyone and the importance of voting in the October 26, 2026 municipal election for candidates that support affordable housing in Halton.
You can learn more about the municipal election and find questions about housing to ask candidates HERE
Civic Labs Podcast
Formerly the Community Data Watch Podcast, this new iteration will feature broader conversations that will include, but are not limited to, local data and community stories, community initiatives, leaders, and perspectives from lived experience.
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The Belonging Project
This project has been a year-long deep dive into experiences of belonging across Halton in partnership with our friends at Grandmother’s Voice, Our Kids Network (OKN), the Halton
Diversity & Equity Roundtable (HEDR), and Community Development Halton (CDH).​
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Together we explored what belonging meant to each of us as community members, advocates, researchers, and community developers. We established a survey (760 responses) and stories project on our blog page to collect the experiences of our neighbours across our region and hosted a
forum to explore the themes and trends together in community.
Out of the stories we pulled out key themes that reflected the dimensions of belonging and the way that they intersect and influence lived experience.
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Here are some of the quotes:​
"Just come as you are, you know? There's a joy that spreads from one person to another. And I think we could use a braver and more invitational society."
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"To me, belonging means feeling seen, valued, and truly connected. It matters so much because I believe that, at our core, we are meant to move through life together, not alone."​
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Youth Engagement Research Project
From March 2025 to February 2026, CDH engaged 10 youth volunteers in the Youth Engagement Research Project. The project explored the facilitators and barriers to the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) 40-hour community involvement requirement.
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This requirement came into effect in 1999, and has never been evaluated in the history of the requirement! To the best of our knowledge, this project was the first evaluation of this youth-centric policy across Canada, and definitely the first evaluation that engaged youth in the leadership of the research project.
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Housing Advocacy
Out of our first ever National Right to Housing Day Forum in November 2024, a group of housing advocates came together. Together with community partners and neighbours, this growing coalition has taken part in letter writing campaigns, elections advocacy, council delegations, documenting the impacts of housing legislation, and creating connections with developers and decision makers across Halton.​
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​As Halton's capacity builder, CDH continues to support the efforts of this growing coalition as it works to ensure the right to housing for all.​
Thriving Together in Halton
Thriving Together in Halton is a community-based research study by Community Development Halton that centres the voices and lived experiences of residents who access social and community services across the region. Through personal stories and reflections, participants shared how local nonprofit organizations provide essential support while fostering connection, belonging, dignity, and hope.​
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The findings highlight the critical role community organizations play in helping residents navigate food insecurity, housing challenges, mental health concerns, and the rising cost of living. Participants also emphasized the power of peer support, compassionate relationships, and opportunities to contribute to their communities as key drivers of resilience and well-being.
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By intentionally centring community voices, this report offers valuable insights into both the strengths of Halton's support systems and the barriers that remain. It serves as a call to action for community organizations, funders, policymakers, and residents to work together to build a more inclusive, connected, and thriving Halton for everyone.
