Michael Braithwaite, CEO, Blue Door
As the CEO of Blue Door, Michael Braithwaite is dedicated to developing innovative and collaborative housing, employment, and health programs aimed at preventing and ending homelessness.
“The reality is that housing is simply not affordable for so many Canadians,” he says. “Even those working full-time jobs can’t keep up with the rising costs of rent and homeownership. We need bold, innovative solutions to change that.”
For Michael, solving the housing crisis means creating systems that ensure lasting affordability for all. Recognizing this, Blue Door launched Construct, a social enterprise operating in York, Durham and Peel Regions that provides comprehensive eight-week skills training to job seekers facing barriers to employment. Since 2020, the program has helped hundreds of individuals secure stable, well-paying jobs, addressing both Canada’s growing skilled labour shortage and the need for long-term employment opportunities.
Michael also acknowledges that it is critical to support Blue Door’s employees in addition to the individuals accessing the agency’s services. Earlier in his time at Blue Door, Michael realized that the organization was not living up to its values because some employees did not earn a living wage. Responding to this gap, Michael and the team took action by returning to the union with an improved proposal, one that offered a better deal than what had originally been requested. The agency had to eliminate one position to raise wages for the remaining staff; however, the result was a more sustainable organization, able to grow and replace that position many times over.
“Part of the challenge is when you don’t pay people well, they can’t afford to work where they live. If you are asking these same people to help those who are struggling with housing affordability, then what kind of workforce are we going to have?”
Michael joined Mission: Affordable because he believes the housing crisis can be tackled when leaders and residents come together to share ideas, resources, and collaborate.
