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Type: Lab

Homelessness & Hygiene Lab

Pipes on a white brick wall

helping those who need it most

In the months since the COVID-19 related economic shutdown, the homeless population of Toronto has more than doubled. People are reluctant to enter shelters because it is difficult to maintain six feet of physical distance from others, and they are concerned about the probability of contracting COVID-19 in such close quarters. This has led to an increase in the number of homeless encampments across the city, encampments that do not have access to washroom facilities, laundry, or clean water.

Concurrently, the measures put in place to combat the pandemic shut down most of the public spaces that people experiencing homelessness count on to access these facilities including libraries, cafes, and community centres. The City of Toronto has identified a need to provide these citizens with the hygiene facilities required to remain clean and healthy.

  • Lab
  • Community Wealth

THE CHALLENGE

We are looking to build a socially responsible, community based solution to the issue of hygiene in homeless encampments. 

THE LAB

The City of Toronto and CSI are working together to facilitate a set of meetings between homelessness experts and social entrepreneurs. These meetings will outline the challenges associated with hygiene in homeless encampments, the intersecting issues that may arise from proposed solutions, and will allow entrepreneurs to work together to develop prototype solutions that can then be implemented and tested in the community. We anticipate three lab meetings scheduled in September and early October, with prototypes ready to be presented by the end of October 2020. 

Part of the CSI Solves Initiative

At CSI, we use labs, social R&D and prototypes that identify new and improved models that can transform existing paradigms and reveal market opportunities. Learn more about our approach here.

League of Social Entrepreneurs

Aerial shot of a group of people standing in a circle with their hands layered on top of one another

Building Back Better: Creating the League of Social Entrepreneurs

We all know that we need to Build Back Better, post-COVID. There are now dozens of campaigns across the globe that are calling for an economy that is intentionally regenerative, equitable and prosperous for all. One that puts people and planet first. But how do we get to that inclusive, affordable, and low carbon future? How do we get to the Next Economy?

For the past 16 years, the Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) has been honing its craft, building solutions, and accelerating thousands of nonprofit and for profit small social purpose organizations (SPO’s). These organizations are now helping to solve social and environmental challenges. In response to COVID-19, we are ready to take our work to the next level and to start building the Next Economy.

The Next Economy requires that we intentionally pursue and nourish social enterprises that work to solve pressing challenges while creating generative business models. This is where the League of Social Entrepreneurs comes in. The League will combine their entrepreneurial energy with social innovation labs and the firepower of acceleration and incubation to create enterprising solutions that ”build back better.”

Outcomes

The League will respond to Challenges issued by partners and stakeholders (government, corporate, or institutional) to help develop, pilot, validate, and incubate solutions into thriving social ventures.

  • Ongoing
  • Challenge, Lab
  • Social Ventures
Apply Now

Solutions Lab Process

Convene a small group of government, community, entrepreneurs, NGOs, and institutions (with a special focus on those agencies on the front lines) — to clarify, research, and better understand a specific social challenge.

Apply Now

Part of the CSI Solves Initiative

At CSI, we use labs, social R&D and prototypes that identify new and improved models that can transform existing paradigms and reveal market opportunities. Learn more about our approach here.