Quick-Fire Questions with Arif JinhaArif Jinha is one of the most recent interns to complete the joint SHSC/CPRN internship and scholar program. His paper, takes a first look at the effects of stimulus spending on affordable housing in Ontario. He recently took some time to answer a few questions about himself and his research.

Q. Where did you go to school for your bachelors and masters degrees?
A. University of Ottawa

Q. What did you take in your undergrad and your masters?
A. My undergrad was in Psychology, my MA is in Globalization and International Development.

Q. What is your thesis on?
A. My thesis is about the global move towards open access to journal research, and what that could mean to research and education in Africa in the context of information and communication technologies (ICT) development.

Q. Why do you think it’s important to provide an early look at the significance of the recession and stimulus spending to affordable housing in Ontario?
A. As quickly as the shovels are going in, we need to track all of the practical, political and philosophical opportunities for change. Ontario’s unemployment rate hit 11.7% at one point in 2008, and Ontario is a province that truly faces the need to change or face greater decline with the next decade being crucial. To me, that makes the current situation for affordable housing in Ontario both critical and fascinating.

Q. What are your future plans education or career-wise?
A. Writing, music, PhD, working less and having more free and creative time.

Q. What got you interested in social housing research?
A. Working in the three downtown shelters in Ottawa.

Q. Where did you grow up?
A. In Guelph, Brampton and Orleans (suburb of Ottawa).

Q. Any other jeopardy-type tidbits that might be of interest to readers?
A. “There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” L. Cohen. I am a huge fan of Leonard Cohen and this quote is great for policy research I think.

Click here to read the full text of Arif Jinha’s paper, Recession and Stimulus Spending: A preliminary Examination of Stimulus spending on Affordable Housing in Ontario