- Aug 6, 2012
- 28,035
- 24,840
- 2,405
The police state is collapsing right in front of our eyes. The slow *drip, drip* that noone cared to address. As predicted...
And experts say the city could risk seeing an exodus of diversity and talent if all levels of government don’t work together to fix the issue -- and fast.
We “don’t have decades” to fix the problem, Matti Siemiatycki, professor of geography and planning and director of the infrastructure institute at the University of Toronto, told Global News.
“People are being priced out of housing markets, they’re having trouble finding places to rent, they’re leaving the cities where they grew up, or where their opportunities for employment are."
While the city has been facing high costs and a lack of supply for years, the problem has only intensified since COVID-19 pandemic restrictions were lifted and immigration targets were ramped up.
Video: Toronto’s affordability crisis has intensified. Here’s why it needs to be fixed now
And even though Toronto's housing market slowed last month amid higher interest rates, prices have risen overall in the last year.
Housing options are out of reach for many and with record levels of immigration in Canada expected in the coming years, experts say the problem is only expected to amplify if further action isn't taken.
It's a complex problem that all levels of government say they are working to address, but the impacts of this crisis are already being felt, both in terms of short-term shelter and permanent housing options.
“We're going to need all hands on deck, all different models, because we’re in a crisis and we need to solve this quickly,” Siemiatycki said.
The glaring lack of housing options in the city has compounded in recent weeks, with hundreds of asylum seekers and refugees left without a safe place to stay.
Amid the summer heat, hundreds of newcomers were shuffled between churches and hotels as private, non-profit and public workers sought to secure shelter for them.
Innocent Amuda found himself among the hundreds of people living on the streets in Toronto after arriving from Uganda.
Speaking with Global News in mid-July, Amuda said "it's not good to sleep on the streets."
"You can’t sleep on the streets, would you? Of course not," he said. "Me either, but it’s the option that’s available."
And experts say the city could risk seeing an exodus of diversity and talent if all levels of government don’t work together to fix the issue -- and fast.
We “don’t have decades” to fix the problem, Matti Siemiatycki, professor of geography and planning and director of the infrastructure institute at the University of Toronto, told Global News.
“People are being priced out of housing markets, they’re having trouble finding places to rent, they’re leaving the cities where they grew up, or where their opportunities for employment are."
While the city has been facing high costs and a lack of supply for years, the problem has only intensified since COVID-19 pandemic restrictions were lifted and immigration targets were ramped up.
Video: Toronto’s affordability crisis has intensified. Here’s why it needs to be fixed now
And even though Toronto's housing market slowed last month amid higher interest rates, prices have risen overall in the last year.
Housing options are out of reach for many and with record levels of immigration in Canada expected in the coming years, experts say the problem is only expected to amplify if further action isn't taken.
It's a complex problem that all levels of government say they are working to address, but the impacts of this crisis are already being felt, both in terms of short-term shelter and permanent housing options.
“We're going to need all hands on deck, all different models, because we’re in a crisis and we need to solve this quickly,” Siemiatycki said.
The glaring lack of housing options in the city has compounded in recent weeks, with hundreds of asylum seekers and refugees left without a safe place to stay.
Amid the summer heat, hundreds of newcomers were shuffled between churches and hotels as private, non-profit and public workers sought to secure shelter for them.
Innocent Amuda found himself among the hundreds of people living on the streets in Toronto after arriving from Uganda.
Speaking with Global News in mid-July, Amuda said "it's not good to sleep on the streets."
"You can’t sleep on the streets, would you? Of course not," he said. "Me either, but it’s the option that’s available."
