Original Broadcaster Captioning (Enhanced). Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:00:10When you want news, we are here for you and CBC
00:00:13News Ottawa and here Winnipeg, White Horse and here Dulac,
00:00:17Saskatoon, Montreal, Calgary.
00:02:00Can Canada build its way out of the housing crisis?
00:02:02The housing crisis is taking a toll on Montrealers. We have a
00:02:06a huge shortage of housing. It's no secret Canada needs
00:02:09more affordable housing. But the type of housing is
00:02:13important, and some cities just aren't
00:02:15building enough of what many Canadians need most. It's
00:02:18called the missing middle.
00:02:20Most cities are flooded with high rise apartments,
00:02:24which don't have that much space, or detached homes,
00:02:27which can be expensive. There's not a lot in between. But if we
00:02:32built more duplexes, row homes and low rise
00:02:35apartments, experts say that missing middle
00:02:38would bring greater affordability and choice to the
00:02:42market. We built more homes in 1972 than we did in 2024,
00:02:46and Canada's population has doubled since then and
00:02:49households have gotten smaller.
00:02:52Things may be starting to turn around. Missing middle housing
00:02:56starts in Canada jumped 44% last year compared to the year
00:02:59before. This type of housing can be faster and cheaper to
00:03:03build, helping bring density to
00:03:05neighborhoods without overwhelming them
00:03:09long time. We neglected the question of who needs what
00:03:12housing, where and at what cost, and we're suddenly going, hmm,
00:03:16maybe we should think about that. So there's a lot of
00:03:19catching up to do.
00:03:20Some cities are catching up faster than others. Last year,
00:03:24Calgary and Edmonton dominated missing middle housing starts.
00:03:28Calgary has a bunch of housing stock that had favorable
00:03:31conditions for redevelopment. There's been an unprecedented
00:03:35demand and that's why you're seeing such high volume. People
00:03:39have flocked to Calgary and Edmonton for more affordable
00:03:42housing. The cities have plenty of land and encouraged new
00:03:46supply by amending zoning permissions. It's Toronto and
00:03:49Vancouver that aren't building
00:03:51enough of the missing middle. Steep land costs mean the
00:03:55projects are less economical amid slow approvals and high
00:03:58development fees. Construction often stalls financing, banking,
00:04:03construction companies. Everything we do is geared
00:04:06around high rise and or production housing in the
00:04:09suburbs and so we need to kind of reinvent that industry.
00:04:13Toronto and Vancouver are taking steps towards zoning
00:04:16reforms, though there's still a long way
00:04:19to go. But it's clear that more housing options
00:04:22would benefit Canadians. The clients were talking to at that
00:04:25level. They want
00:04:273 bedrooms, family housing. They're not.
00:04:30They do not want to try and recreate the condo boxes.
00:04:33Experts say lawmakers need to do more to get shovels in the
00:04:37ground, lowering development fees and
00:04:39simplifying and speeding up approvals. I'd say the biggest
00:04:42challenge is that all three levels of government aren't
00:04:46acting like it's a crisis. Without the missing middle,
00:04:49Canada will be missing out.
00:04:54Something the best way to make housing more affordable is to
00:04:56just build more. A simple case of supply and demand,
00:04:59but there's more to it. Private developers,
00:05:02there's not a criticism, this is just a fact,
00:05:05are trying to make money. They all tend to build at the higher
00:05:08end. It really comes down to what kind of housing we're
00:05:12building, like nonprofit housing. This
00:05:14project in Griffintown is one such example. Let's take a look.
00:05:19This is one of our longer builds because it's so high
00:05:22density. Lahaul Avec has built his career on making housing
00:05:25available to students Here. We're building 285 units of
00:05:29not-for-profit student housings. And what's the rent gonna be?
00:05:32The rent is gonna be about 20 to 30% below market. His
00:05:35nonprofit real estate company Util does it all. We find land,
00:05:39we hire architects, contractors, and then we own the assets in
00:05:43perpetuity. And that's how you ensure that long term
00:05:46affordability. Leveque says his nonprofit can build when the
00:05:49private hector can't. Right now, there's a market slump in
00:05:53housing starts. The nonprofits are building and we're building
00:05:56in markets where it's difficult to make profits. And that's
00:06:00fine. There are all kinds of nonprofit housing,
00:06:03from affordable housing where rents are below market value,
00:06:06social housing with rent subsidies for low income
00:06:09tenants, to transitional housing and
00:06:11shelters that get regular governmental support. To really
00:06:14tackle the housing crisis, experts say nonprofit housing
00:06:18needs to make up 20% of the housing stock. As it stands now,
00:06:21the latest data shows Quebec is that about 5%. Now the
00:06:26politicians looking to get your vote want to get to that 20%
00:06:31target. But to get there, some say we need to look at
00:06:35nonprofit housing differently. We need to make nonprofit
00:06:40housing, real economic sector,
00:06:44an alliance of some 30 housing corporations across Quebec,
00:06:47from owners to nonprofits to co-ops to para public
00:06:51organizations. It says the best nonprofits need to join forces
00:06:54and be seen as real players in the real estate sector. We need
00:06:58to stop looking at them like they are helping the pores.
00:07:02Yeah, they're helping everyone. We
00:07:04need to think in terms of portfolios instead of thinking
00:07:07by project by project. There's always going to be limited
00:07:10government funding available so we need to stretch those
00:07:14dollars and find new ways to attract capital,
00:07:17much like models in Europe that have for decades scaled up
00:07:20nonprofit housing. In the UK they have very large housing
00:07:24associations that are not-for-profit businesses and
00:07:27they borrow billions of pounds from institutions like
00:07:30insurance companies and even pension funds. Pension fund
00:07:33will never invest in non market housing unless the government
00:07:37backs that loan. Canada could follow other countries leads
00:07:40but it would require a shift in how society values housing no
00:07:44matter who is in power.
00:07:46Take France for example. Right now we don't know who they're
00:07:49charging France. So even if you're right wing party you
00:07:53don't come in and kick down social housing system for
00:07:56electoral purposes. Leveque though is hopeful. Never have
00:08:00we seen scaling up not-for-profit housing so
00:08:02importantly entered in every housing policy at every level.
00:08:06But it's change that could take years to build.
00:10:16Welcome back. We're taking a look at Canada's housing crisis.
00:10:18Up next, how those looking for places to live are affected.
00:10:24One in five Quebeckers report struggling to pay rent over the
00:10:28past year. That's according to a new study shedding light on
00:10:32the rental market and issues renters face across the
00:10:35province. The survey was carried out by Ledger for the
00:10:39Group V Cavill in urban Planning nonprofit. 5500 people
00:10:43participated in the online study last summer. 20% of them
00:10:47said they struggled to make rent. 13% said that happened
00:10:51more than once, with a maximum margin of error
00:10:54of 1.3%.
00:10:55The sample size is you don't have to be that late to be
00:10:58exposed to an eviction. And we know that people who are
00:11:02evicted have a lot of trouble finding stable housing again.
00:11:06I'd like to move somewhere cheaper,
00:11:09but that doesn't exist anymore. I mean,
00:11:11Allam says she has to make sacrifices to afford her $1300
00:11:16one bedroom apartment in Montreal. I don't go out. I
00:11:19don't. I like, I have maybe $50.00 to do fun
00:11:22things for the entire month. It's like
00:11:25theft, as long as I can cover everything.
00:11:29Just barely. Since 2023, the study says the average
00:11:32monthly rent has increased by $150.00 in Quebec. Most of the
00:11:36increase we've observed comes from renewals and not from new
00:11:39people renting. That jump also has fewer and fewer people
00:11:43believing they'll be able to buy property one day. I don't
00:11:46think I'll ever be able to get on the property ladder. Like
00:11:50I've given up hope
00:11:52in not renting. The groups say the survey underscores the need
00:11:56for the Quebec government to implement new measures. Things
00:12:00like a rent registry province wide and putting limits on
00:12:04landlords ability to increase rent between tenants. They say
00:12:08while building more housing may help overtime,
00:12:11they say more needs to be done in the short term. Round
00:12:15Kennedy. CBC News Montreal.
00:12:21I love him so much and he loves me. Valeria Woloshin is getting
00:12:24ready to retire this summer. She'll be on a reduced and
00:12:28fixed income. She wants to move into seniors housing in
00:12:31Saskatoon, but the housing she applied for
00:12:34doesn't allow pets. I don't want to let go of him. My God,
00:12:38it would just break my heart. Now Wallach and is facing a
00:12:41difficult choice. Live in affordable housing and give up
00:12:45her lovable friend or move to Manitoba and away from her
00:12:48family so she can keep her cat?
00:12:51I really don't know. I have no idea at this point. Well,
00:12:55Ocean's situation is an example of how the no pets policies at
00:12:59rental listings across the city is impacting tenants. Often
00:13:03they face higher rents and fewer choices. And for some it
00:13:07means giving up on not just a pet,
00:13:10a family member. Out of 10 submissions we may get,
00:13:1330 to 50% will be because of unable to find adequate living
00:13:18circumstances.
00:13:20Isn't that crazy? It's heartbreaking. New Hope
00:13:23Dog Rescue has about 90 dogs in care living in foster homes.
00:13:27Researchers agree losing the emotional bond with an animal
00:13:31can be devastating for humans and the pets themselves. She
00:13:35made a lot of stressful days bearable. Claire Paulson has
00:13:38depression and says her dogs helped motivate her to move
00:13:42forward in life. But she says finding a place to live with
00:13:46them was tough. It's frustrating to try to find a
00:13:49space. When you do find somebody that accept pets,
00:13:53you kind of have to sell that a little bit to them and tell
00:13:57them why. Almost like it's almost like a job interview for
00:14:00your pets. And I always say that my dogs have probably have
00:14:04better references than I do. Paulson pays a monthly $25 pet
00:14:08fee and considers herself lucky. Often it can be higher or
00:14:12required damage deposits. As for Woloshin,
00:14:15she's still looking for affordable housing in Saskatoon.
00:14:18She's trying to get Buddy declared
00:14:21emotional support animal because she says giving him up
00:14:25is just not an option. Aishwarya Duda,
00:14:28CBC News Saskatoon Look.
00:14:34MANAGEMENT, SAYING THEY'RE FED UP. >> THAT DOESN'T WORK, AND THAT'-
00:14:41UP. >> THAT DOESN'T WORK, AND THAT'- >> Reporter: THE BATTLE WITH
00:14:43>> THAT DOESN'T WORK, AND THAT'- >> Reporter: THE BATTLE WITH SPACE HEATERS IS LIKE DEJA-VU
00:14:45>> Reporter: THE BATTLE WITH SPACE HEATERS IS LIKE DEJA-VU FOR DARREN AND ANDREA, WHOSE
00:14:47SPACE HEATERS IS LIKE DEJA-VU FOR DARREN AND ANDREA, WHOSE APARTMENT BUILDING AT 64 St. FOR DARREN AND ANDREA, WHOSE APARTMENT BUILDING AT 64 St. CLAIR AVENUE WEST IS YET AGAIN
00:14:51APARTMENT BUILDING AT 64 St. CLAIR AVENUE WEST IS YET AGAIN WITHOUT HEAT. CLAIR AVENUE WEST IS YET AGAIN WITHOUT HEAT. >> REALLY FRUSTRATING.
00:14:55WITHOUT HEAT. >> REALLY FRUSTRATING. FOR SURE, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR >> REALLY FRUSTRATING. FOR SURE, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR ALMOST 20 WEEK, AND THERE'S A
00:14:59FOR SURE, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR ALMOST 20 WEEK, AND THERE'S A PROBLEM ALMOST EVERY WINTER, ALMOST 20 WEEK, AND THERE'S A PROBLEM ALMOST EVERY WINTER, SO...
00:15:02PROBLEM ALMOST EVERY WINTER, SO... THEY'VE HAD YEARS AND YEARS AND SO... THEY'VE HAD YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS TO FIX THIS, SO IT'S
00:15:06THEY'VE HAD YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS TO FIX THIS, SO IT'S REALLY FRUSTRATING. YEARS TO FIX THIS, SO IT'S REALLY FRUSTRATING. >> Reporter: THE PROPERTY
00:15:09REALLY FRUSTRATING. >> Reporter: THE PROPERTY OWNERSHIP GROUP, CHERISH HOME
00:15:12>> Reporter: THE PROPERTY OWNERSHIP GROUP, CHERISH HOME LIVING, SAY THE PROBLEM WITH THE
00:15:14OWNERSHIP GROUP, CHERISH HOME LIVING, SAY THE PROBLEM WITH THE BOILER WAS OUT OF THEIR CONTROL LIVING, SAY THE PROBLEM WITH THE BOILER WAS OUT OF THEIR CONTROL ASK THAT THE PARTS NEEDED TO FIX
00:15:18BOILER WAS OUT OF THEIR CONTROL ASK THAT THE PARTS NEEDED TO FIX IT WITH UNAVAILABLE. ASK THAT THE PARTS NEEDED TO FIX IT WITH UNAVAILABLE. PRINCIPAL OF THE COMPANY, BOB
00:15:22IT WITH UNAVAILABLE. PRINCIPAL OF THE COMPANY, BOB McARTHUR, TOLD ME ON THE PHONE
00:15:24PRINCIPAL OF THE COMPANY, BOB McARTHUR, TOLD ME ON THE PHONE THAT A NEW BOILER WAS ORDERED
00:15:26McARTHUR, TOLD ME ON THE PHONE THAT A NEW BOILER WAS ORDERED LAST WEEK AND THAT IT SHOULD THAT A NEW BOILER WAS ORDERED LAST WEEK AND THAT IT SHOULD ARRIVE IN FIVE WEEKS, AROUND THE
00:15:30LAST WEEK AND THAT IT SHOULD ARRIVE IN FIVE WEEKS, AROUND THE END OF MAY. ARRIVE IN FIVE WEEKS, AROUND THE END OF MAY. HE DID NOT RESPOND TO A
00:15:33END OF MAY. HE DID NOT RESPOND TO A FOLLOW-UP REQUEST FOR AN HE DID NOT RESPOND TO A FOLLOW-UP REQUEST FOR AN ON-CAMERA INTERVIEW.
00:15:37FOLLOW-UP REQUEST FOR AN ON-CAMERA INTERVIEW. THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY ON-CAMERA INTERVIEW. THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY DID NOT RESPOND TO REQUEST FOR
00:15:40THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY DID NOT RESPOND TO REQUEST FOR COMMENT. DID NOT RESPOND TO REQUEST FOR COMMENT. >> LANDLORDS IN TORONTO HAVE A
00:15:44COMMENT. >> LANDLORDS IN TORONTO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT >> LANDLORDS IN TORONTO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT THEIR TENANTS ARE IN HEALTHY AND
00:15:48RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT THEIR TENANTS ARE IN HEALTHY AND SAFE CONDITIONS.
00:15:51SAFE CONDITIONS. >> Reporter: IN FEBRUARY 2023, TENANTS HAD THE SAME LOSS OF
00:15:53>> Reporter: IN FEBRUARY 2023, TENANTS HAD THE SAME LOSS OF HEAT IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER. TENANTS HAD THE SAME LOSS OF HEAT IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER. LOCAL COUNCILLOR JOSH MATLOW AND
00:15:57HEAT IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER. LOCAL COUNCILLOR JOSH MATLOW AND THE CITY STEPPED IN. LOCAL COUNCILLOR JOSH MATLOW AND THE CITY STEPPED IN. >> I HAD TO INTERVENE BACK THEN
00:16:01THE CITY STEPPED IN. >> I HAD TO INTERVENE BACK THEN ON BEHALF OF TENANTS TO DEMAND >> I HAD TO INTERVENE BACK THEN ON BEHALF OF TENANTS TO DEMAND THAT THE LANDLORD ENSURE THAT
00:16:05ON BEHALF OF TENANTS TO DEMAND THAT THE LANDLORD ENSURE THAT THE HEAT WAS TURNED ON. THAT THE LANDLORD ENSURE THAT THE HEAT WAS TURNED ON. AND THEY KNEW THAT THEY HAD
00:16:09THE HEAT WAS TURNED ON. AND THEY KNEW THAT THEY HAD PROBLEMS BACK THEN. AND THEY KNEW THAT THEY HAD PROBLEMS BACK THEN. THEY CHOSE TO PUT BAND-AIDS ON
00:16:13PROBLEMS BACK THEN. THEY CHOSE TO PUT BAND-AIDS ON IT, RATHER THAN FIX THE PROBLEM, THEY CHOSE TO PUT BAND-AIDS ON IT, RATHER THAN FIX THE PROBLEM, AND NOW THE TENANTS ARE OUT OF
00:16:17IT, RATHER THAN FIX THE PROBLEM, AND NOW THE TENANTS ARE OUT OF HEAT ONCE AGAIN. AND NOW THE TENANTS ARE OUT OF HEAT ONCE AGAIN. >> Reporter: RESIDENT DARREN
00:16:21HEAT ONCE AGAIN. >> Reporter: RESIDENT DARREN DRIVER SAYS HE REMEMBERS THE
00:16:23>> Reporter: RESIDENT DARREN DRIVER SAYS HE REMEMBERS THE CONVERSATION THAT HAPPENED IN
00:16:25DRIVER SAYS HE REMEMBERS THE CONVERSATION THAT HAPPENED IN 2023 AND ISN'T SURPRISED THAT
00:16:292023 AND ISN'T SURPRISED THAT THIS IS HAPPENING AGAIN. >> I STOOD DOWN THERE WITH THIS IS HAPPENING AGAIN. >> I STOOD DOWN THERE WITH PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, CITY BY-LAW
00:16:33>> I STOOD DOWN THERE WITH PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, CITY BY-LAW OFFICERS AND -- AND THE
00:16:35PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, CITY BY-LAW OFFICERS AND -- AND THE CONTRACTOR, AND THEY TOLD US,
00:16:39CONTRACTOR, AND THEY TOLD US, WELL, WE HAVE THREE YEARS, AND THEN THIS WILL BREAK AGAIN.
00:16:41WELL, WE HAVE THREE YEARS, AND THEN THIS WILL BREAK AGAIN. WELL, IT'S THREE YEARS, RIGHT? THEN THIS WILL BREAK AGAIN. WELL, IT'S THREE YEARS, RIGHT? AND THEY SAID IT WON'T BREAK IF
00:16:45WELL, IT'S THREE YEARS, RIGHT? AND THEY SAID IT WON'T BREAK IF PROPER MAINTENANCE IS DONE.
00:16:47AND THEY SAID IT WON'T BREAK IF PROPER MAINTENANCE IS DONE. >> Reporter: SINCE ITS APRIL
00:16:49PROPER MAINTENANCE IS DONE. >> Reporter: SINCE ITS APRIL INSTEAD OF FEBRUARY, DRIVER
00:16:51>> Reporter: SINCE ITS APRIL INSTEAD OF FEBRUARY, DRIVER FEELS THERE'S LESS URGENCY THAN INSTEAD OF FEBRUARY, DRIVER FEELS THERE'S LESS URGENCY THAN BEFORE, BUT SAYS THE PROCESS
00:16:55FEELS THERE'S LESS URGENCY THAN BEFORE, BUT SAYS THE PROCESS STILL SHOULDN'T TAKE TWO MONTHS. BEFORE, BUT SAYS THE PROCESS STILL SHOULDN'T TAKE TWO MONTHS. >> RIGHT?
00:16:59STILL SHOULDN'T TAKE TWO MONTHS. >> RIGHT? THAT'S COLD. >> RIGHT? THAT'S COLD. I THINK THAT'S REALLY COLD, AND
00:17:02THAT'S COLD. I THINK THAT'S REALLY COLD, AND LAST NIGHT WAS -7.
00:17:05Premium quality Pyrethrin insecticide powder Amira Al
00:17:08Kabir says he's been fighting off bed bugs in his apartment
00:17:13for years. I was using this powder,
00:17:17uh, from Canadian Tire
00:17:21and it's good for three months. He's a longtime tenant of this
00:17:2544 unit Ng building, which offers affordable housing.
00:17:291 of 37 people who live here among bedbugs,
00:17:31mice and cockroach infestations. When we entered for the
00:17:35inspection, we realized that there's not
00:17:38even electricity in this apartment,
00:17:42but that the infestation is major. So you see,
00:17:44the band Garnier is part of a community organization that has
00:17:49stepped in to try to fix this. This is unacceptable. Besides
00:17:52those looking for subsidized housing,
00:17:55several people who live here are diagnosed with mental
00:17:58health conditions. For some, this building was a way to get
00:18:02off the streets. You could imagine this apartment like in
00:18:06a clean condition, like you have huge windows. You
00:18:09actually have two rooms. It's it's a perfect setting
00:18:13for for an affordable housing for an individual living alone.
00:18:18Garnier says the Ng Community Group stepped in in January
00:18:22after the previous managers quit. They recently committed
00:18:25$35, 000 to fumigate and they're
00:18:27calling for help. It's not in our budget. This is not our
00:18:30mandate. We're doing it because we wanna save. We wanna make
00:18:34sure those 44 people don't end up back in the street. The
00:18:37nonprofit that owns the building,
00:18:39Lush Markham Natasha Solidad Grand, or LCS G,
00:18:42and the building's previous manager of several years,
00:18:45Associated Discussion CAB, each denied blamed for the
00:18:48current state of the building.
00:18:50They ended their collaboration and have different views about
00:18:54what went wrong. LCG says the building is run by volunteers
00:18:58who face a colossal task. I can't be a management personnel
00:19:02and I can't be a healthcare personnel. I can't be a social
00:19:06worker. It becomes a full time job for a volunteer see that
00:19:10there is something like within the system that's it's obvious
00:19:14to me now that it's doesn't work. The NDG Community Council
00:19:18sustenance needs go beyond this current
00:19:20emergency. Garnier says the Regional Health authority needs
00:19:24to place intervention workers in the building permanently to
00:19:28provide health and social services. She says some of the
00:19:32tenants saw some of their in house services like clinic
00:19:35provided by this DLC suspended because of the infestation.
00:19:39Those people need support. We need the institution,
00:19:42we need the the system to jump in. In a statement to CBC News,
00:19:46the Health Authority of West Central Montreal said it's
00:19:50aware of the building situation and that some tenants are followed
00:19:54individually by its clinical teams. As for pauses and
00:19:57services, the health authority assess in
00:20:00such cases care isn't refused, but that service requests are
00:20:03reoriented to ensure that interventions are safe. A
00:20:06spokesperson added that other residents can access general
00:20:10health and psychosocial services through their usual
00:20:13point of entry, such as calling 811. Those
00:20:15people are very vulnerable, so that that's not acceptable.
00:20:19We asked the city Of Montreal for comment.
00:20:21They referred us to the borough. They caught the Nash and the G
00:20:25Burrows says it helped coordinate preparations for
00:20:28some of the apartment ahead of the fumigation. But As for
00:20:32paying for the fumigation, the borough says it can't
00:20:35provide any funding because the nonprofit LLC SG is considered
00:20:39a private owner. A private owner could raise the rent and
00:20:43make more money to pay whatever it is. But,
00:20:45and W Bell cannot do that. So we're kind of on between like
00:20:49this is a public service. So you could see like
00:20:52they've been having a mice party. Garnier says regardless
00:20:56of any systemic issues, the residents need help
00:20:59immediately.
00:21:02This is for tenants and advocates gathered this weekend
00:21:04in what they hope is a turning point for renters in Toronto.
00:21:08The launch of a citywide tenant union,
00:21:13the York Southwestern Tenants Union,
00:21:15now rebranding to cover the whole city,
00:21:17has a long history of organizing rent strikes and
00:21:20demonstrations. The union will bring them together with tenant
00:21:24groups, associations and individual
00:21:26renters who believe organizing on a broader level could help
00:21:30push for change. So localized. We found that when we reached
00:21:34out to politicians, nobody listened. But I feel
00:21:37that having a Toronto tenant union can definitely move the
00:21:40political dialogue partnered with Climate Justice Toronto,
00:21:44a perspective they say will help shed light on issues
00:21:47tenants face because of climate change. As an individual,
00:21:51your first interaction with the consequences of climate change
00:21:55are at home, you'll have heat rising in your
00:21:57building and you're you often don't have AC and if you do
00:22:01have AC, you have to pay extra. On
00:22:03launch day Saturday, the unions, founders and renters from
00:22:06across the city came together for a convention where they say
00:22:10there's a lot of work to do. Our goal
00:22:12is to elect our steering committees and our chairs and
00:22:16basically start 3 sections of the city. Going to Scarborough,
00:22:21we're gonna do downtown and we're gonna do York S Weston.
00:22:25The union has a $5 a month membership fee. Organizers say
00:22:30over 400 renters registered as of Saturday morning dose
00:22:34signing up hoping it leads to real change. They're raised the
00:22:39rent. We have issues with water. No cold water, no hot water
00:22:43with the right people to support us and the right people
00:22:47to to back us, we have faith. So yes,
00:22:50the Tenant Union is solidarity for people who doesn't know
00:23:02on bad landlords are underway, staff say evaluating buildings
00:23:07to fix issues isn't easy. But hearing from tenants is a
00:23:10crucial part of improving the process.
00:23:13We're doing actually with this report that's before council
00:23:17now is adjusting how we calculate that evaluation of
00:23:19the building to better reflect the actual conditions in it.
00:23:23That is part of our ongoing
00:23:25improvement process and that's informed a lot by consultations
00:23:29with tenants and tenants groups. Meanwhile,
00:23:32landlord groups say achieving a fair system demands solving
00:23:35some of their struggles, too. The cost to operate
00:23:38buildings, property taxes, insurance, maintenance,
00:23:41you know, all, all kinds of costs that go into
00:23:44running rental units continues to go up. So those tenant
00:23:48unions can work with us to see what exactly we need so we can
00:23:51all work together. The goal here is not tenants have beat
00:23:55the landlords
00:23:56that the landlords that beat the tenants. The goal is to
00:23:59create a rental leveled and fair rental housing market. The
00:24:03union's founders say they're open to work together down the
00:24:06line, but first on the agenda is to
00:24:09keep people housed and make sure they're living with
00:24:12dignity. Now Weingarden and CBC News Toronto.
00:26:32If the cost of renting or buying a property is making
00:26:34your head spin, there is 1/3 option. You might
00:26:37not have considered Co-op housing. It may not be
00:26:40something you've heard a lot about. That's because it makes
00:26:43up just a fraction of housing in Canada. Most co-ops that
00:26:46exist today were developed in the 1970s and 80s,
00:26:49and the few who live in them love how affordable they are.
00:26:52I often travel and people say, well, you know,
00:26:55where do you get the money for traveling? I said, well,
00:26:58I don't have to pay a mortgage. Waiting list for Co-op
00:27:02units are so long it can take years to get into one. So if
00:27:05demand for these units is so high,
00:27:07why aren't there more of them? Well,
00:27:09part of that answer is that they tend to need a lot of
00:27:13government support. And the second part is that starting
00:27:16one can be complicated. Let's start with the way housing
00:27:19co-ops work. Members are Co owners and vote on how the
00:27:23building is managed and as long as you follow the rules,
00:27:26you can stay as long as you want. Generally,
00:27:28housing co-ops are divided into two categories,
00:27:31nonprofit and equity
00:27:33co-ops. In an equity coop, you buy a share of a building,
00:27:36a share which can gain value overtime. But these are far
00:27:39less common than nonprofit co-ops. In those who aren't
00:27:43building equity, you simply pay a monthly fee
00:27:45that covers building expenses and maintenance,
00:27:48and when you leave, your unit goes to someone else.
00:27:51Dimitri Roussopoulos lives in one of those co-ops. He's one
00:27:55of the founders of Canada's largest housing cooperative
00:27:58development, the Milton Park Community. He's
00:28:00lived in this two-story townhouse since
00:28:031972, where all four residents pay
00:28:05under $1000 a month. And since the property is Co owned by
00:28:09Co-op members, no one has to worry about being
00:28:12evicted or the building being sold.
00:28:14I have a sense of ownership,
00:28:17I have a sense of security. I feel my personality enriched. I
00:28:22feel healthier in every way, mentally and physically.
00:28:26How much you save in a Co-op compared to the rental or
00:28:30buying market can really depend on the city,
00:28:32province and structure of the coop itself. According to the
00:28:36Cooperative Housing Federation of Canada, there are about 95,
00:28:39000 Co-op housing units in Canada,
00:28:41most of them individual apartments. So could we start
00:28:44seeing more of these units? That's the hope. Governments
00:28:47are starting to get more involved again,
00:28:49but not to the extent that they were in the past. So.
00:28:52In the 1970s and 80s there was robust federal and provincial
00:28:58investment in new cooperative housing supply. That investment
00:29:04slowed down due to policy decisions by governments in 80s
00:29:09and 90s to 1st cut and then eliminate.
00:29:13Social housing funding
00:29:16the federal government has made some recent investments to
00:29:19build this kind of housing one example is the recently
00:29:22established Co-op housing development program. It offers
00:29:25loans and contributions to help co-ops get started in some
00:29:29cities are contributing to Montreal is now selling land
00:29:32for these projects at break even prices. The Quebec
00:29:35Confederation for Cooperative Housing says this is a good
00:29:38first start, but it's still a far cry from
00:29:41the government investments of the 70s and 80s. And that,
00:29:44paired with today's
00:29:46higher prices for land and labour mean that if you're
00:29:48starting a new Co-op, your costs up front are going
00:29:51to be a lot more than in an older Co-op. And on top of that,
00:29:55it can be a complicated process to set one up. It goes way
00:29:58beyond just creating the Co-op entity.
00:30:01Group of people need to get together and if they build
00:30:05their own property they need to hire not final site and and to
00:30:10buy the site, get permit to build and so on.
00:30:14These are processes
00:30:16that usually are very cumbersome and wrong.
00:30:19But the Quebec Co-op Confederation argues it's still
00:30:22worth it. It says that even if the upfront savings aren't as
00:30:26significant for new co-ops as the price of buying and renting
00:30:30goes up, Co-op residents will save money
00:30:32in the long term. Still, experts say that these kinds of
00:30:36living arrangements aren't for everyone.
00:30:39Of the reason is that we are individualistic in nature.
00:30:44People would like to own their own property,
00:30:47they'd suburbans. Once they move in,
00:30:50there can be there can be issues which getting along,
00:30:55how to share things and so on.