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SDS 312RHomelessness and Public Policy

Units
0.50
Faculty
Arts
Subject
Social Development Studies

When it runs

  1. F24
  2. W25
  3. S25
  4. F25
  5. W26
  6. S26
  7. F26
  8. W27
  9. S27

Ran in 2 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: scheduled, 2 lecture sections. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.

Students will explore the root causes of the multifaceted problem of housing insecurity, examine its impact on individuals and society, and deconstruct the programs and policies for addressing it. Through a combination of theoretical exploration, case studies, and real-life examples, students will gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by unhoused people and the systemic factors that contribute to their status.

Prerequisites

  • Students must be in level 2A or higher

Antirequisites

None listed.

Leads to

No course lists it as a requisite.

Winter 2027 sections

Enrolment from UW Open Data, which can trail Quest by up to two days. Instructors and rooms: Schedule of Classes.
SectionClassEnrolledMeets
LEC 00165430 / 40MW 18:30–19:50
LEC 701245443 / 9999Online or by arrangement

Reviewed on UW Flow

67% liked it83% easy75% useful

From 9 ratings and 7 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

  • Took this course in Winter 2026 with Gail Hokestra. I highly recommend this course with her if you are considering going into social work or want to dive deeper into homelessness. She brings in lawyers, MPs, and directors of organizations as guest speakers to share their experiences working with and/or working for the homeless population, giving students a realistic glimpse in different lines of work. One third is lecture delivered by Gail, another one third is by guest speakers, and the final third is by students. Grades are based on an infographic (15%), community review (25%), policy review (25%), group presentation (25%), and attendance + participation (10%). The last class also…

    Apr 2026 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • gail hokestra was teaching the course when I took it. it was her first time teaching. the entire course was 4 assignments (one group presentation), evenly weighted, that were incredibly vague in description. going to class was not enforced (as in, participation wasn't part of a mark, it wasn't recorded, and class content wasn't tested) and it wasn't necessary to go to class to complete any of the assignments. prof forgot we had an assignment due 2 days after reading week and extended the deadline by a week. marking criteria seemed kind of arbitrary and I got the same mark on every assignment, but that's not saying much bc by the end of the semester I only had half back. professor had so…

    Apr 2025 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • I took the Winter 2025 offering by Gail Hoekstra. I highly recommend this course for anyone in general who is interested in this topic. Guest lectures were also pretty interesting: wide range of perspectives. Course assessments involved 4 assignments worth 25% each: 1 infographic, 2 papers, and 1 group presentation. Highly recommend Gail for this course as her experiences working in the housing services sector provided grounded and practical insight into a lot of the topics discussed. It's clear that she has a deep passion for the work. I also learned a lot from other classmates: Since course prereqs are low, you get to hear from a wider range of students under different majors/programs. I…

    Mar 2025 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • The course is not a bird. She is racist, sexist, homophobic and rude. I did not like this. I learned more from students in the span of a month then over the last 3 months of her lectures. Also a previous comment got removed, she accused a student of doing coke. Very rude. She needs to retire.

    May 2023 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Course content is unclear. The research you do for the assignments is better than attending class. I had such high hopes but this prof ruined the class for me. I learned more about their depressing, sad, issues about her life then the class.

    Mar 2023 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

Discussed on r/uwaterloo

One post or comment in 1 thread mentions SDS 312R, October 2017 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.

Fall 2017

Any way to disable UWCourseLinker from posting? 16 points, 26 comments

“posting a reply to my comment I find the bot annoying.”

u/Jackhofmann: “… 238 SCI 267 SCI 395 SDS 131R SDS 150R SDS 205R SDS 210R SDS 231R SDS 242R SDS 250R SDS 251R SDS 312R SDS 331R SDS 353R SDS 354R SDS 355R SDS 358R SDS 398R SDS 399R SDS 400R SDS 405R SDS 425R SDS 440R SDS 449R SDS 450R SDS 451R SDS 490R SDS 495R SDS 499A SDS 499B SE 101 SE 201 SE …”

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Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026

Calendar versions

Undergraduate Calendar