The Implications of Gentrification in Toronto and Is It Ethical to Do So?

Athusha Puvanendra | December 20th, 2020

Gentrification is probably one of the most controversial topics when it comes to maintaining Toronto’s economic stability over the past two decades. It is most commonly defined as the process of changing the character of a neighbourhood in order to increase residents and businesses (1). Recently, Toronto neighbourhoods have been affected by this process specifically Regent Park, Gerrard East and Parkdale (2). A lot of these neighbourhoods that used to be considered ‘low-income' neighbourhoods, where people’s yearly income totalled less than $70,000 as a family and less than $38,000 per single earning household (3), are being renovated in order to encourage people to buy condos and houses at a higher price point.

The ethics behind gentrification takes on a utilitarian approach since it is trying to balance the happiness of a certain group of people while disadvantaging another (4). In this case, the happiness of the ‘gentrifiers’, or the people that are moving into these neighbourhoods, is being prioritized over the people that are being displaced. The main concern of the process entails what is happening after the process occurs. The families that were originally living in these neighbourhoods are forced out of their homes to make room for people that have a higher income bracket. It has statistically been found to have affected minority groups across Toronto, where not only are ethnic groups being displaced but also a part of the neighbourhood’s culture is being taken away (5). Particular neighbourhoods that have a higher population of ethnic minority peoples are at a higher risk of going through the gentrification process.

The most important piece of information is that there are no legal implications or government mandates when it comes to displacing people from their homes. The only reason gentrification projects can have legal implications is if it is violating environmental concerns in Canada (6). This means that these low-income households are forced to move outside of the central parts of Toronto to be able to afford rent. The displacement of low-income people should not be accepted as a norm in society especially since it can in turn lead to negative long-term complications. It can equivocate to the Gerrymandering process that happens in the United States, where ethnic minorities within a state are forced to vote within a border for political influence (7). Gentrification seems to be forcing a certain group of people that do not have to means of affording new prices in other lower-income neighbourhoods outside the Toronto core.

The solution that I propose is that governments should have a mandate that makes it easier for people that are renting properties. There should be laws that regulate what property owners can do before starting the process as a whole. Further, they should ensure that tenants are able to afford the new rent costs after renovations by giving them better offers when it comes to renting control. A prime example would be Regent Park, where tenants of the Toronto Community Housing (TCHC) properties were able to have a choice of staying; this was only possible because of their mission for affordable housing for people that cannot afford it.

Endnotes

1. Hackworth, Jason, and Neil Smith. "The changing state of gentrification." Tijdschrift voor economische en sociale geografie 92, no. 4 (2001): 464-477.doi:10.1111/1467-9663.00172/

2. Krneta, Ana. 2019. “Top 10 Up and Coming Neighbourhoods in Toronto 2019.” Torontorentals.com. 2019. https://www.torontorentals.com/blog/top-up-and-coming-neighbourhoods-in-toronto

3. Ontario, Government of. 2020. Low-income Individuals and Families Tax Credit. January 17. Accessed December 10, 2020. https://www.ontario.ca/page/low-income-individuals-and-families-tax-credit#:~:text=your%20individual%20adjusted%20net%20income,year%20must%20be%20below%20%2468%2C500.

4. Staub, Alexandra. 2018. What Are the Ethics of Gentrification? November 22. Accessed December 10, 2020. https://www.housinghumanright.org/what-are-the-ethics-of-gentrification/#:~:text=Although%20politicians%20don't%20typically,based%20on%20ideas%20of%20utilitarianism.&text=Utilitarianism%20seeks%20the%20greatest%20net%20benefit%20in%20any%20situation.

5. Murdie, Robert, and Carlos Teixeira. "The Impact of Gentrification on Ethnic Neighbourhoods in Toronto: A Case Study of Little Portugal." Urban Studies 48, no. 1 (2010), 61-83. doi:10.1177/0042098009360227.

6. Hishon, Riel. 2018. Can Law be used to Combat the Negative Effects of Gentrification? December 3. Accessed December 10, 2020. https://ejsclinic.info.yorku.ca/2018/12/can-law-be-used-to-combat-the-negative-effects-of-gentrification/#:~:text=The%20increasing%20development%20caused%20by,congestion%2C%20thus%20deepening%20environmental%20burdens.

7. Wines, Michael. 2019. What Is Gerrymandering? And How Does it Work? June 27. Accessed December 10, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/27/us/what-is-gerrymandering.html.