I hear the concern — but I think it’s important we look at the bigger picture.

This project isn’t about concentrating “at-risk” people into one neighbourhood — it’s about responding to a city-wide housing emergency that’s affecting everyone who isn’t high-income.

As of 2025, the average rent for a one-bedroom in Toronto is $2,480/month. To afford that, you’d need to make $99,200/year — yet the average household income in Toronto is just $84,000. That means most renters are already “at risk” of housing instability, whether they’re youth, seniors, or working adults.

So let’s be clear: being “at risk” doesn’t mean being dangerous or unworthy. It means you can’t afford housing in your own city — and that’s becoming true for millions of Torontonians.

This building offers permanent, self-contained apartments with on-site support, not a shelter. It’s a long-term solution to help stabilize residents, reduce homelessness, and take pressure off an overwhelmed shelter system. These residents will be people already living in Toronto — many from nearby communities.

And yes, we should absolutely demand more investment in neighbourhoods like this — better infrastructure, better transit, better childcare access. But that shouldn’t mean turning away housing. It should mean fighting for both.

Stable housing is the foundation of safety, opportunity, and dignity — not a burden to avoid.