With Toronto’s low vacancy rate in recent years often meaning stiff competition for rentals — though the pandemic saw a brief reprieve — applicants often don’t know which factors exactly led another prospective tenant to be picked.
In an ad for a two-bedroom in the west end, a listing says it’s “ideal for a couple or two roommates.” For another, in the east end, a two-bedroom unit is described as suitable for one or two “professional” residents.
Bahar Shadpour, a spokesperson for the non-profit Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation, believes the stakes are getting higher for families facing discrimination.
But she, too, believes having young kids has made their search more difficult.
I still don’t even see where home ownership is feasible for us,” she said, noting she also has a pile of student loan debt.
In some cases in recent years, tenants’ concerns about family discrimination have been validated by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.
The City of Toronto, in a 10-year housing plan approved in 2019, promised a housing commissioner role tasked with ensuring it took “concrete” steps to address issues of housing discrimination.
Though both are now earning an income again, she worries whether they’d be able to afford another two-bedroom apartment in Toronto.