City Committee Advances Data-Driven Plan to Prevent Evictions

By -
At City Hall, Toronto has taken a step forward in tackling inequities in social housing. On October 28, the Economic and Community Development Committee approved a motion that strengthens accountability in how the city collects and uses eviction data. The decision follows growing advocacy from community groups and residents — including voices from Regent Park — who have urged the city to confront systemic barriers that put low-income and racialized tenants at higher risk of eviction. The motion directs the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit to work with Toronto Community Housing (TCHC) and the Housing Secretariat to present updated equity-based eviction data by early 2026. This data will help identify where and why tenants are most vulnerable and guide future housing policy across Toronto. During the meeting, community members emphasized the importance of transparency and evidence-based decision-making, noting that eviction prevention must start with understanding who is most affected. Advocates say the move marks progress toward a fairer housing system but stress that implementation will be key. With housing insecurity continuing to rise in neighbourhoods across the downtown east, including Regent Park, the call for justice-driven housing policies remains urgent — and deeply personal for the residents most impacted. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Regent Park Roots: Paul Tobias’ Story of Breaking Barriers

By -
Image
Paul Tobias’ journey from growing up in Regent Park to becoming a published author and community leader is a testament to resilience and the power of generational change. His life story, shaped by the challenges of public housing, systemic inequities, and racial discrimination, speaks to larger societal issues that demand collective attention. Dimitrije Martinovic – Local Journalism Initiative Paul’s book, written as a reflection on his struggles and triumphs, challenges social stigmas often attached to public housing residents and immigrants. By sharing his personal narrative, Paul highlights the persistence required to rise above systemic barriers while calling for reforms in housing policies and social service accountability. His experience also underscores the need for equitable access to education as a means of breaking cycles of poverty. Education played a central role in Paul’s life and became the legacy he passed on to his children. Through his deter...
Read more

Regent Park Portrayed in Film and Television

By -
Image
Toronto has a rich history of being a go-to shooting location for many television and film production companies. Some notable films shot here over the years include Good Will Hunting (1997), Billy Madison (1998), American Psycho (2000), and X-Men (2000). Regent Park has also had its share of showcases in film. This article aims to review the general content of movie dramas and televisions shows shot in Regent and explore their relationship to the community. Clement Virgo is a director, producer, and writer from Montego Bay, Jamaica. He was born in 1966 and moved to the Regent Park area in Toronto in 1977. During this time Regent Park was generally populated by low-income families and as a hot spot for drugs. Virgo is most recently known for his roles in Greenleaf (2016-2018), The Book of Negroes (2015), and The Wire (2002) as Director and/or Producer. His first feature-length film, however, was Rude (1995), which was filmed almost entirely in the old Regent Park. “The film told...
Read more

Meet Your Neighbourhood Police Officers – PC Mircea Biga and PC Farzad Ghotbi

By -
Image
Community-based policing is a proactive law enforcement strategy that focuses on building ties and working closely with a community’s members to create partnerships and plans for preventing and reducing crime. While community policing will look differently depending on the community it serves, a central feature is that the same officer patrols and works in the same area on a permanent basis. Currently there are 17 community-based police programs in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), but what most people don’t know is that Toronto’s community policing started in Regent Park in May of 2017. We know this because the original officers involved in setting up the Regent Park community policing program continue to work here today. The officers are PC Mircea Biga, PC Farzad Ghotbi, and PC Edward Parks; the newest officer assigned to the Regent Park community is PC Nigel Thomas (who is replacing PC Melissa Huntley while she is on maternity leave). Symptomatic of the increasing diversity...
Read more