The Neighborhood Land Trust & Parkdale People's Economy will implement a Community Action Research Project that seeks to document and respond to the increasing financialization and diminishing affordability of Parkdale’s mid-century private tower rental housing stock by identifying community-led housing solutions to preserve housing affordability including three policy proposals, two community action initiatives, and a new social housing model. The project has three phases:
- Market Analysis - First, the project will conduct an academic study of the local rental market trends in mid and high-rise towers in Parkdale over the past 10 years to analyze the changes in ownership, management, building quality, rental rates, and tenancy stats such as above guideline rent increases and evictions.
- Tenant Impact & Needs Assessment - Second, a community action research component will explore the impact of these market trends on tenant material and social wellbeing.
- Identification of Community-led housing solutions - Third, tenants, researchers, and affordable housing experts will work together to develop proposals for community-led housing solutions to preserve housing affordability and respond to community-identified needs and priorities. This will include three policy proposals, two community action initiatives, and a new social housing model.