Condos in Toronto are no longer a place for young people to build a life in the big city, but rather bank accounts for global investors, a UN rep told city councillors
Leilani Farha, UN special rapporteur on adequate housing, holds a press conference in Seoul, South Korea in May 2018. She said the South Korean government should regard the right to housing as a part of human rights and take national action.
"The homelesness on the streets, it's unacceptable in a rich country, and in a city like Toronto. Skyscrapers are going up that are clearly not intended for people who are in housing need, and clearly are intended for investors. The gobbling up of existing stock by big finance, all of this is problematic," Farha said.Farha is in Toronto for an"unofficial" visit, meaning she did not review any city policies on behalf of the UN, but did have strong words for city officials.
Farha travels the world to promote housing as a human right, rather than simply a commodity for investors to buy and sell. She urges all levels of government to provide residents with adequate and affordable places to live with dignity, and to not allow forced evictions and displacement if there's nowhere else for residents to go.Leilani Farha, of the United Nations at City of Toronto's Planning and Housing Committee April 30, 2019.
Change is on the way, Farha said. The federal government is passing legislation to introduce an independent housing advocate, who'd act like an ombudsman and work with provinces and municipalities to tackle housing issues. She is in favour of the federal government making funding for affordable housing projects contingent on other levels of government adopting a human rights-based approach.
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