This timeline provides an overview of some of the key housing issues faced by communities across Ontario and how governments have responded to these issues over the past 50 years, including a detailed look at how the pandemic has exacerbated existing issues. It shows that, as investments in affordable housing have dwindled, housing insecurity has grown – especially among the most vulnerable communities.
IMO one of the really critical takeaways of this historical survey given the current climate is this: The claim that immigration has caused the crises is completely B.S. With the dynamics in place to drive the crises, increasing population can exacerbate the problem on the margins, but population growth didn’t cause the problem and deportations won’t fix it.
We need systemic fixes, like public development of purpose built affordable housing and regulation to prevent finalization of the human right to housing.
I always explain it along the lines of “increased immigration didnt cause the housing crisis, it was just the final catalyst needed for people to notice it”.
Maybe the crisis had finally gone on long enough to be noticed or maybe people felt more comfortable now that had someone to blame but reality is this crisis has been decades in the making.
The moment cities started ripping out street cars and bulldozing buildings to build parking lots was when the crisis officially began IMO.