Bourgette's situation is part of a broader dispute at 388 Roncesvalles Avenue, where tenants are at odds with the building's owners over eviction notices and the future of the property.
Mayor Olivia Chow, who introduced the motion Wednesday to oppose the bill, said the proposed legislation would be harmful to the roughly half of Torontonians who rent housing. We should ask other municipalities to join us and let us do everything we can to lessen the impact this bill would have to Toronto's renters, because they deserve fairness, she said. They deserve civility and security, just like everybody else does.
As an assemblymember representing the west side of Manhattan and the CEO of one of the city's largest homeless services organizations, we grapple with this complexity daily-how mental health and substance use disorders often interact to push stable housing further out of reach, creating a vicious cycle that plays out in our streets and subways. Project Renewal has quietly developed and tested occupational therapy programs that address the daily living skills essential for housing stability, from medication management to emotional regulation and job interview preparation.
Owning space—whether for housing, business, or agriculture—is critical for communities' resistance and long-term stability, shaping their communal purpose and future.
