OACC collaborated with the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) and allied intern architects and academics on a campaign to call on the City of Toronto to expropriate a series of vacant lots on Sherbourne Street in the downtown east for rent-geared-to-income housing.

We helped facilitate a design charrette to gather feedback on what local residents desired for the site, in terms of overall building form, ground floor programs, public space qualities, and domestic space qualities. These findings were compiled in a report which included a speculative design for the site that synthesized the inputs of the community and galvanized support for the project.

Together, we presented the report along with a model of the speculative design, at a meeting of the Affordable Housing Committee at City Hall.

Outcome of project: Report issued, deputation to the Affordable Housing Committee, City council has been asked to direct CreateTO to look into expropriating the properties.