As the Oct. 22 municipal election draws nearer, we take a look at some of the most pressing challenges facing Toronto, what voters think, and how mayoral candidates propose to tackle them. The Issue: As Toronto has grown, it has become more unaffordable. One expert calls affordability the issue of the decade. A new public opinion poll suggests many Torontonians would agree. If there was a poster child for Toronto’s affordability problem, Gabriela Martinez would fit the bill.The bartender says she’s fed up with the sky-high cost of housing in Toronto and is planning to pack her bags in a few months and head to Montreal, where rents are far lower.She and a partner moved into a one-bedroom, $1,400 a month unit in an apartment building near Dufferin St. and Rogers Rd. in February.They split the rent 50-50, but in July Martinez’s partner decided to move out, so Martinez gave the landlord notice she has to leave too, unable to carry the rent on her own.Martinez’s brother is going to Los Angeles for two months, so starting Nov. 1 she plans to rent his place while she searches for a unit in Montreal, where she hopes to attend university for social work or pursue law. She has seen ads for one-bedrooms in Montreal for $700 a month.“My main reason for leaving here is affordability in Toronto. It’s gotten ridiculous,” she says.Her comments fall in line with the findings of a new Forum Research poll, conducted in advance of the Oct. 22 election, which suggests nearly 80 per cent of Toronto voters feel this city is becoming unaffordable. Among respondents, about one third (36 per cent) said real estate prices contribute most to the problem, while 23 per cent blamed rental costs.Other factors cited include wages not keeping pace with the cost of living, (13 per cent of respondents) property taxes, (7 per cent) underfunded public services, (5 per cent) utilities, (5 per cent), insurance, (5 per cent) and food prices, (3 per cent).The su ...
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