Affordable housing units for artists in Toronto shrink as waitlists grow

Creative artists are sounding the alarm about the growing struggle to secure affordable housing dedicated for performers, as Toronto arts co-operatives report waitlists spanning several years — if they haven't already closed their lists to cope with demand.

"All of us are struggling in the city," said musician Michelle Breslin, a guitar player who's been searching for affordable housing in Toronto for over a decade, and has spent as many as 15 years on waiting lists. 

Within the past two months, she says she's reached out to more than 10 co-operatives and each time was met with a closed waiting list. 

"If a waitlist opens, it's for about five minutes, and if you don't hear about it right away, you're out of luck," she said. "I'm at a point in my life where I'd really like to have a home and be in one place and build my studio up, so it's very depressing." 

The Lakeshore Village Artists Co-op is one Breslin says she hopes to apply for, but with only 94 units and growing demand, the co-op temporarily closed its waitlist, according to Lilian Radovac, the co-op's vice-president.

Radovac says the wait won't be short for artists who already submitted applications.

"What we tell our applicants is that it will likely be years," Radovac said.

The years-long wait is being felt by applicants who've applied to live at the Performing Arts Lodges (PAL) Toronto, where wait times for one of their 205 units could be between five to eight years, according to David Plant, the lodge's executive director.

Contract work and inconsistent incomes within creative industries makes the need for affordable housing urgent for artists, according to Dane Bland, director of development and engagement of Toronto Arts Council.

Bland says the average income for artists in the city is less than the $45,000 income considered living wage by a 2024 Toronto Foundation report. 

"Artists contributed around $12 billion to Toronto's economy on an annual basis," said Bland, in reference to a 2020 economic impact study by the Toronto Arts Council. "It would be worse for the city if they left than it would be for us to find a way to keep them here in a way that's affordable and fair."

The City of Toronto, in partnership with the Riverdale Co-Operative Houses, recently opened 26 new homes at the Riverdale Co-Op, five of which are dedicated to artists — a move pushed for by local councillor Paula Fletcher.

"For the five, there were hundreds and hundreds of applications," Fletcher said.

She says the area used to have several creative spaces for artists, but artists have now been "priced out of this part of town."