Toronto Tension - High Finance and Homelessness

Canada, one of the ten wealthiest countries in the world, has an international reputation as a progressive place - where universal health care is guaranteed, marijuana is legal and same-sex marriage, a given. But the country’s most densely populated city – Toronto – is one of the most expensive on the planet. The financialization of housing is hitting Toronto hard, with affordable apartments being purchased en masse by institutional investors, while homeless encampments spring up in parks throughout the city.  The Filmmaker and the Advocate are joined by Toronto City Councillor Mike Layton who’s in the thick of it – trying to address the big issues, from housing affordability to climate change, navigating the constraints of municipal politics, while harnessing its strength: the unique ability to mobilize residents to make change. Produced by WG Film Recorded & Edited by Mikey JonesMusic by Florencia Di ConcilioSocial Media & Support - Maja MobergSupport the show

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Cities are becoming increasingly unliveable for most people. Costs are rising but incomes are not. Sky-high rents, evictions, homelessness, and substandard housing are common realities for urban dwellers across the planet. There is a global housing crisis. How did this basic human right get so lost? Who is pushing people out of their homes and cities, and what’s being done to pushback? 

On the heels of the release of the award-winning documentary, PUSH, filmmaker, Fredrik Gertten and Leilani Farha, the former UN Special Rapporteur on the right to housing, have reconvened. Join the filmmaker and the advocate as they reflect on their experiences making PUSH and exchange ideas and stories about the film's central issue: the financialization of housing and its fall-out. 

For more about PUSH and to view it:  www.pushthefilm.com 

For more about Fredrik Gertten and his other films: www.wgfilm.com

For more about Leilani Farha in her new role, Global Director of The Shift: www.make-the-shift.org