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On Sunday, OCAP and their allies will meet in Allan Gardens at 3 pm and march through the streets of Toronto, demanding City Council seize abandoned properties and restore them as social housing. 

On September 18, Michael Shapcott of the Wellesley Institute reported that Toronto’s affordable housing wait list has grown to a staggering 90,060 households as of the end of August, according to Toronto Housing Connections (which maintains the list). Those households include a total of 165,723 women, men and children – an increase of 4% in the past year.

“Poor and homeless people in Toronto’s Downtown East are being hit by both governmental austerity measures and relentless upscale redevelopment,” said OCAP in their Friday press release.

“Housing for low income renters is being squeezed out while condos spring up at breakneck speed. Homeless shelters are desperately overcrowded and the redevelopment of George Street poses the threat of hundreds of shelter beds being lost from Seaton House, the largest men’s hostel in the country.”

John Bonnar

John Bonnar is an independent journalist producing print, photo, video and audio stories about social justice issues in and around Toronto.