Watch the video here
Over 250 people representing more than 150 organizations registered to attend the launch of the Plancher Project. If you missed the event, you can watch the video recording and we invite you to share it in your networks.
The financialization of housing, according to the United Nations’ Human Rights Commission, “occurs when housing is treated as a commodity—a vehicle for wealth and investment—rather than a social good.” Admittedly, the subject sounds as dry as month-old toast, but it is critical to understanding why, in a society as wealthy as ours, so many people cannot afford an appropriate place to call home.
There is a huge gap between student housing supply and demand in the greater Toronto area. In the absence of adequate residences, many students result to living in dubious, downright dangerous or illegal conditions; or they pay a very high price—whether it is on the private market or for a university residence. HOUSE (Housing Ontario University Students Equitably) intends to change things by setting up affordable non-profit housing projects for students, first in Toronto and then in various Ontario cities.
For a 145-year-old organization, it takes courage and a little humility to begin a process of profound self-examination. Accueil Bonneau, an iconic Québec organization in the fight against homelessness, has taken this path to aid in achieving its ultimate goal: ending chronic homelessness in Montréal.