Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow wants taxpayers to shell out a $1,000 per month rent subsidy for migrants struggling under Toronto's high rents.
In 2023, approximately 160,000 immigrants arrived in Toronto, driving down vacancy and driving up rents. Homeless shelters and food banks are said to be overwhelmed.
"You can't jail your way out of a homelessness crisis," said Chow in a recent broadcast — conflating homeless people with criminals.
"We know there's a homelessness crisis for heaven sake, there are 12,000 people in shelters. Why? Because they are either evicted or they can't pay enough rent, or they have mental health issues, and can't keep a place, but they don't have the support. They need a drug treatment program."
In 2023, the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Toronto was approximately $3,290 per month. A one bedroom was $2,526. In 2023, the vacancy rate for apartments in Toronto was approximately 1.5%.
As of the latest available data, approximately 8,000 to 10,000 people are in homeless shelters in Toronto on any given day.
Chow said there are also long waiting lists for housing — she emphasized the need for quality housing with wrap-around supports for at-risk people. She said a rent subsidy, in the end, is cheaper for taxpayers than putting people in jail.
"Think about how much it costs to keep a person in jail, right?," she said. "It's like under $120,000 to $150,000 a year.
