A downtown apartment for $1,200 a month? Here is one group’s plan on how Toronto can rethink its vacant office space
CTV
A Canadian think-tank has a plan to keep young people from fleeing urban centres in search of more affordable accommodations.
A Canadian think-tank has a plan to keep young people from fleeing urban centres in search of more affordable accommodations.
As part of its Toboggan Flats project, Youthful Cities is working on a plan to convert vacant office spaces in Canada’s urban centres into residential co-living developments for young people struggling to pay rent in the country’s most expensive cities.
“Downtowns are starting to hollow out because people aren't coming back to work,” Robert Barnard, co-founder of Youthful Cities, told CP24.com. “We've got these vacant office spaces that really could be housing.”
Barnard said the current state of Toronto’s housing market means it is nearly impossible for young people to afford to live downtown.
“Years ago, we built condos for young people to get downtown and with the intention they're going to buy those condos. Now, young people can't even afford to rent the condos that were built for the last generation of young people,” he said. “So the challenges are mounting.”
He said while cities around the world have begun to build co-living spaces for young adults, it is a relatively new concept in Canada.
“We've got students in residences. We've got seniors in seniors’ homes. We've got people sharing homes and sharing bathrooms and kitchens and laundry all the time. So it’s all around us,” Barnard said.
