"All of us are struggling in the city," said musician Michelle Breslin, who has been searching for affordable housing in Toronto for over a decade, often facing years-long waitlists. The growing demand for arts co-operatives has made securing such housing exceptionally challenging. Michelle states, "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," emphasizing the despair of trying to find stability as an artist in a bustling city like Toronto.
Lilian Radovac, vice-president of Lakeshore Village Artists Co-op, highlights the urgent need for affordable housing by stating that the co-op has temporarily closed its waitlist due to overwhelming demand. She mentions that applicants should brace for the long wait, saying, "What we tell our applicants is that it will likely be years," which underscores the severity of the housing crisis facing creative artists.
David Plant, executive director of the Performing Arts Lodges Toronto, noted the significant time needed for artists who apply to live in their facility. He mentioned that wait times for one of their 205 units could realistically range from five to eight years, which reveals how difficult it is for artists to secure proper housing.
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