Maytree advances evidence-based policy solutions that protect and promote economic and social rights for all people in Canada, with an emphasis on prioritizing those most in need.
We build capacity in the non-profit sector with Maytree Policy School, a six-month program that supports organizations with a social policy focus to effectively engage in the public policy process.
Explore by issue
Housing
Our work on housing includes shaping and sharing policy ideas, investing in innovative solutions, and supporting partners working to strengthen communities.
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Income security
Our work on income security includes mapping current income security programs and understanding where those systems are working well, where there are gaps, and how they can be strengthened.
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Human rights
Our work on human rights aims to understand and strengthen the government mechanisms that implement our international human rights obligations here at home.
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Budget submissions
Drawing from across our policy work, our budget submissions offer advice on how governments in Canada could advance the progressive realization of economic and social rights.
Learn moreFeatured policy publications
Designed to fail: How Ontario’s income security policies create and perpetuate homelessness
Ontario’s own records show the province’s social assistance system is fuelling the homelessness crisis. This policy brief highlights how inadequate rates and punitive shelter benefit rules are driving people onto the streets.
Poverty segmentation: The challenge of the ‘working poor’
The report challenges the misconception that poverty doesn’t happen to people who work. The reality is that the working poor are the largest group among those in poverty. To accurately capture the realities of this segment, the report proposes an updated definition for the working poor.
Learning from our mistakes: Ontario needs more than an employment strategy to address rising poverty
Employment is not a viable path out of poverty unless policy interventions first address the barriers that prevent work and create a labour market that offers decent jobs.
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Rising homelessness is no mystery – it’s socially assisted
Dear Ministers: Increase funding for the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit in the 2026 Ontario Budget
How deemed tax filing can make claiming benefits easier for people with low incomes
Designed to fail: How Ontario’s income security policies create and perpetuate homelessness
