Wellesley Institute
Encyclopedia
The Wellesley Institute (WI) is a non-profit and non-partisan research and policy institute located in Toronto
, Canada.
The WI funds innovative research on the impact of inadequate housing and homelessness
, poverty and income inequality, social exclusion
and other social and economic determinants of health. Research is geared to solving pressing, community
-identified issues. The Wellesley Institutes's community-based research and capacity building
workshops support non-profit community groups working to address the effects of health disparities
and social inequality.
Through its policy analysis, the Wellesley Institute identifies practical solutions and policy frameworks to enhance health equity. The WI works with other organizations locally, nationally and internationally to address common issues and advance progressive policy alternatives.
The Wellesley Institute was founded in 1998 as the Wellesley Central Health Corporation (WCHC): the WCHC emerged out of the closure of the Wellesley Hospital
. In 2006 the organization changed its name to the Wellesley Institute.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada.
The WI funds innovative research on the impact of inadequate housing and homelessness
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
, poverty and income inequality, social exclusion
Social exclusion
Social exclusion is a concept used in many parts of the world to characterise contemporary forms of social disadvantage. Dr. Lynn Todman, director of the Institute on Social Exclusion at the Adler School of Professional Psychology, suggests that social exclusion refers to processes in which...
and other social and economic determinants of health. Research is geared to solving pressing, community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
-identified issues. The Wellesley Institutes's community-based research and capacity building
Capacity building
Capacity building also referred to as capacity development is a conceptual approach to development that focuses on understanding the obstacles that inhibit people, governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations from realizing their developmental goals while enhancing...
workshops support non-profit community groups working to address the effects of health disparities
Health disparities
Health equity refers to the study of differences in the quality of health and health care across different populations....
and social inequality.
Through its policy analysis, the Wellesley Institute identifies practical solutions and policy frameworks to enhance health equity. The WI works with other organizations locally, nationally and internationally to address common issues and advance progressive policy alternatives.
The Wellesley Institute was founded in 1998 as the Wellesley Central Health Corporation (WCHC): the WCHC emerged out of the closure of the Wellesley Hospital
Wellesley Hospital
The Wellesley Hospital was a teaching hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada affiliated with the University of Toronto. It was founded by Dr. Herbert Bruce as a private hospital, but became publicly operated in 1942....
. In 2006 the organization changed its name to the Wellesley Institute.