What to know
- Marit Stiles says Toronto’s affordability crisis has become a political emergency, with rising rents and living costs making it harder for young people and families to stay in the city. She criticized Doug Ford for focusing on spending she says feels out of touch instead of affordability.
- Stiles argues Toronto is “pricing out” the artists, musicians, and cultural workers who made neighbourhoods vibrant in the first place. As investors and corporations buy up housing, creative people are losing affordable places to live, work, and build community.
- The province says it is trying to address affordability through housing and transit investments, including an $8.8-billion housing partnership with the federal government. Meanwhile, the city has stepped in to protect some affordable artist housing and creative spaces after the collapse of Artscape.
Ontario Opposition Leader Marit Stiles sat down with Now Toronto for the first edition of Now In Conversation for a quick interview on some of the biggest issues affecting young people in Toronto ranging from the affordability crisis and rising rents to the city losing its cultural identity.
When it comes to affordability, Stiles says we’ve reached the point of political emergency.
“As soon as people are struggling to make ends meet, which is all the time right now and has been for some time, then it’s immediately a political crisis,” Stiles told Now Toronto in an interview.
Stiles pointed the finger at Premier Doug Ford, calling out his government for not prioritizing affordability.
“Instead, they’re prioritizing things that I think people find wasteful,” she said. “Like this luxury private jet that Doug Ford bought, that’s a good example of not understanding just the moment we’re in, but the priorities of the people of Ontario.”
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@nowtoronto Ontario Opposition Leader Marit Stiles sat down with NOW Toronto for the first edition of NOW In Conversation. Check it out! #MaritStiles #NOWInConversation #ONPoli ♬ original sound – Now Toronto
Stiles says Toronto is losing its culture
She says that Toronto, like many other cities that are cultural hotspots, has begun the process of pricing out its own identity.
“Artists and people live where they can, they kind of move into neighbourhoods where it’s affordable, and then everybody else wants to be there because it’s cool,” she explained.
“That’s happened for generations. But right now we’re seeing… other big corporations [and] big investors buying up housing, for example, that nobody’s living in… it, or people who are living there — and they’re not invested in the community.”
She says that she believes the people who live in Toronto and the people who are going to come here to build community and families need to be supported through governmental measures, including affordable housing.
“The other thing is more space for the things that make communities special, our city special,” she added. “Like for artists, studio space is impossible right now. Rehearsal space is impossible. Musicians are being priced out, artists are being priced out, and cultural workers — and [they are] another part of what makes this city really special and unique.”
Toronto currently has a patchwork of affordable housing and workspace supports for artists, but many artists and arts advocates say demand still far exceeds supply. The biggest and most established system has historically been through Artscape, a Toronto non-profit that created below-market housing that includes live/work housing, studios, and cultural hubs for artists across the city.
A major recent issue was the financial collapse and receivership of Artscape in 2023–24, which put hundreds of artist tenants at risk. Since then, the City of Toronto and the federal government have stepped in to preserve many of those affordable units and creative spaces. In 2025, the city announced it had secured affordable homes for roughly 390 tenants across former Artscape properties. The city also helped establish ArtHubs, a non-profit now managing several former Artscape cultural hubs.
Additionally, several venues focused on supporting artists also exist in the area, including the new Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre, which recently opened its doors downtown, offering an accessible space, designed with the needs of Toronto artists in mind.
What the Ford government says it’s doing on affordability
Meanwhile, the Ford government says it is tackling affordability through a mix of housing, transit, tax relief and energy initiatives aimed at lowering costs for Ontarians. One of its biggest moves is an $8.8-billion partnership with the federal government to reduce development charges and speed up housing construction across the province.
Other measures highlighted include pausing certain inclusionary zoning rules near transit hubs, introducing tax relief and energy legislation, and increasing pension protections for workers. The province says these efforts are designed to lower living costs, encourage housing development and provide financial stability for residents and businesses.
