Wed Apr 06, 2022
Media Advisory:
From Regent Park Community Health Centre Advocacy Committee and the Shelter & Housing Justice Network
Wednesday April 6th:
9:00AM – press conference and rally Toronto City Hall
9:30AM – City Council – pack council chambers to demonstrate support for the expropriation of 214-230 Sherbourne for social rent geared to income housing
Hosted by Regent Park Community Health Centre Advocacy Committee
Speakers to include – Shelter Housing Justice Network, Councillor Kristyn Wong Tam, Toronto Drop-in Network, Downtown East End community members
The City of Toronto’s bid to purchase 214-230 Sherbourne was lost. However, the City still has the power to expropriate the property and turn it into desperately needed rent geared to income housing. The out of control real estate market and private profit should not take precedence over the lives and safety of human beings.
The property at 214-230 Sherbourne St. has sat vacant for over 10 years while the ravages of the housing and homelessness crisis decimate a community outside its doors. A 30 room mansion should not be left vacant while people freeze to death outside. This land has now been sold to developers who will no doubt try to develop it into condos that will further displace people from their neighbourhood. The municipal, provincial and federal governments should not be allowed to ignore this situation and turn their backs on the people who have a right to live and a right to basic shelter and housing.
Enough is enough. Regardless of who owns the property at 214-230 Sherbourne – it is in the public’s best interest for the City to take action now to expropriate.
” Expropriating the lands at 214-230 Sherbourne for deeply affordable housing is the exactly the kind of rapid housing intuitive that the Province, the Federal Government and the City have said they support. This is the moment we must all come together and treat housing affordability as the crisis it is.” states Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, who will move a motion to expropriate 214-230 Sherbourne at the upcoming Council meeting.
“It is worth the additional monies to expropriate 214-230. City Council talks about long term vision for the neighborhood – so, they should have some. Long-term vision means stopping displacement with rent-geared-to-income housing, it means building up the neighbourhood for the people who are and have been a part of the neighbourhood for decades. A condo = displacement and increased suffering for poor and homeless people. Social housing = promotion of health and well- being for the entire community” says Josie Ricciardi, Manager of Community Health programs at Regent Park Community Health Centre.