Guest: Shawn Micallef, contributing columnist for the Star

This summer, the city of Toronto spent almost $2 million on private security guards and police to forcefully clear encampments in public parks. Despite the obvious need for housing, council has once again delayed a decision on legalizing rooming houses citywide, a debate that's been ongoing for ten years at City Hall. Rooming houses, also called multi-tenant homes, are currently illegal in most of Toronto, yet they are said to be an accessible and affordable living option for students, newcomers, and individuals with low income in a city where the cost of living is among the highest in Canada. Columnist Shawn Micallef joins "This Matters" to explain the significance of rooming houses, renters' rights and why encampment clearing should not have taken place the way it did in the middle of a pandemic and an escalating housing crisis.