Hear the Stories
Take time to explore the different perspectives of tenants and residents of Toronto who have navigated the housing system throughout their lives. The experiences and relationships along the way with neighbours, store owners, services, and places, all come together to help create a sense of belonging.
Meet Jim,
A friendly neighbor and primary caregiver for his cat. Jim is determined to stay in the neighborhood he knows so well, especially since he’s built long-term friendships there. He’s definitely a local fixture.
Meet Marquito.
A dedicated advocate. He has experience living in just about every housing type but his memories of the encampments are the fondest, for both the unique experiences and independence it gave him. Marquito recently graduated from a peer outreach program, hoping to use his experience to help others in need.
Meet Ron,
A local historian. Ron enjoys examining the world as it changes. He can usually be found with a bike in hand, and an extra sweet coffee.
Meet Michael,
A creative philosopher. Michael grounds himself by singing, writing, or reading a book. He’s a writer, thinking about writing a new book about his experience with homelessness.
Meet Jimmy,
Jimmy and his girlfriend have ‘customized’ their hotel room over the last 6 months. They’ve built shelving, hauled in extra furniture, spray-painted inspirational quotes on the walls, like “hurt people hurt people” and “A broken heart is a heart that has been loved.”
Meet Gus,
A true Local, his whole life is in this neighbourhood. When describing his new home, Gus found a way to make it feel cozy, by putting up family photos of his mom and nephews, he has a few blankets and objects to remember his mom by and enjoys spending time watching tv at home or heading up to watch football with the people he grew up around in his neighbourhood