It was supposed to be a safe, affordable home for Ontarians with nowhere else to go. But inside, it was horrifying.
An investigation by CBC’s Toronto Life has revealed why one affordable, affordable housing development in Scarborough is now facing a multi-million dollar lawsuit from its developer.
An inspector with the City of Toronto said the proposed highrise was dangerous, dangerous and so dangerous, he had a mental breakdown.
CBC Toronto Life Investigation: Building a Home for Our Own?
The building was supposed to be safe and affordable. But in many ways, it was not.
And now CBC Toronto Life is alleging that developer M-REIT Inc. of Mississauga (now part of M-Tech) didn’t do enough to check whether the building was safe.
A woman who is part of the settlement talks with CBC Toronto Life.
CBC Toronto Life is the real-life account of an inspector who spoke to CBC Toronto Life about his experience with M-REIT Inc. and M-Tech Development.
On the first night in June 2014, inspectors were called to inspect the building for safety after a man complained about the home’s safety-related violations.
The first inspection went without any issues and the building was given a clean bill of health.
But not long after, CBC Toronto Life began its investigation.
That first night, two inspectors went to a house that had been built for the sole purpose of serving as affordable housing.
According to the CBC report:
“The walls are made of two-by-fours that meet in the middle. They are very low. There is a door, window and door, and another door. There are four rooms, kitchen, bathroom, living room and bedroom.
“It’s not quite how we’d like it, but for people who have money, it’s good enough.
“Our concern was it wasn’t safe — we didn’t want people to fall, we didn’t want people to slip or jump.”
This isn’t the first time CBC Toronto Life has investigated a low-cost housing plan.
Last year, the CBC investigated a development in Vaughan owned by M-Tech, which is now owned by M-REIT.
CBC Toronto Life: Making Homes for Ourselves