John Clapp

John Clapp was adopted by a Mennonite family at 14 months and grew up on a farm until the age of 15. He worked in various labour trades and performed as a professional musician until his early 20s. John attended U of T but dropped out at the age of 31 when he struggled to finance his postgraduate studies. In 2009, at the age of 44, John went on ODSP.

Profiles August 8, 2019 August 9, 2019

Up With Women Founder Proves Homelessness Is Not A Dead End

At 16 years of age, Lia Grimanis fled an abusive family. Suffering from undiagnosed autism and PTSD, she spent the next three years couch…

Insider Voices June 12, 2019 June 14, 2019

Rebranding Toronto’s Homeless Shelters Masks Real Problem

Early in 2018, the City of Toronto approved 1,000 new shelter beds. In order to promote this expansion of the shelter system, the City…

Community, Insider Voices March 26, 2019 March 21, 2019

Gimme Shelter From The Shelter System: The Human Fallout Of Housing Insecurity

In 2018, a total of 23 men died in Toronto’s homeless shelters. The average age of death was 56.5 years, which is nearly 25…

Community, Insider Voices February 19, 2019 February 19, 2019

The Four Catch 22’s Of Housing Insecurity For Low Income Torontonians

How Toronto’s Housing Support Policies Increase Housing Insecurity and the Risk of Homelessness for Recipients of Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program….