It’s been almost two decades since Torontonians were first promised the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit (LRT) — but for many renters across its route, the project has brought more hassle than hope.
Back in July, the TTC’s interim CEO Greg Percy said the new transit line will be running “certainly by year-end.” Last we heard, on Sept. 29, a Metrolinx spokesperson confirmed that the long-awaited LRT is expected to start a 30-day trial test at the beginning of October.
In the meantime, residents who rent along the line have had to put up with years of construction noise, pollution and disruption, while dealing with the anxiety that they may be forced out of their homes.
Bruno Dobrusin, who lives near the LRT and is part of the York South-Weston Tenant Union, describes the situation as “brutal.”
“It’s been inconvenient and it has created instability that’s really, really hitting people,” he says.
“We’ve been actually having to deal with the worst consequences of it, which is all these guys, these big developers or landlords buying properties, trying to profit in advance of it.”
A notice for a demolition and new development proposal near the Mount Dennis LRT Station. 📸: Anthony Lippa-Hardy/The Green Line.
In Ontario, any residential unit that someone has lived in before Nov. 15, 2018 is covered by rent control, meaning that rent can only be increased 2.5 per cent every 12 months.
To get around this restriction, some landlords decide to demolish or redevelop a building into new apartments or condos in order to evict the current tenants and then increase rents. This practice is known as demoviction.
While we can’t determine if the construction of the LRT has motivated a particular landlord to attempt to demovict residents in order to make more profit, The Green Line’s data show that almost a quarter of all demovictions in the city are within walking distance of LRT stations.
It’s important to note that when six or more rental units are to be demolished and at least one is at an affordable or mid-range level of rent, the City requires that property owners replace all of the units with similar units at a similar price. Those units only need to remain affordable for 10 years.
A map showing buildings that have been demolished or are proposed to be demolished according to City datasets.
: James Westman/The Green Line.
To estimate the number of demovictions across the city, we looked at two datasets — the Demolition and Replacement of Rental Housing Units and Development Applications. Our totals are based on the number of replacement units that have been approved or proposed to replace demolished rental units, but they don’t include the numbers of units that have been displaced without replacement units offered to them.
We mapped out where all of the demovictions are taking place across Toronto, and how many are within walking distance of LRT stations to see if there was a disproportionate concentration around the Eglinton Crosstown. We chose to cap the distance at 800 metres for walking distance based on a 2019 literature review of how far people are willing to walk for public transit.
We found that there have been at least 9,211 replacement units approved or proposed across the city since 2008 — of which 2,156 are within 800 metres of LRT stations.
That’s 23.4 per cent percent of the total units demovicted or proposed to be demovicted across Toronto in around four per cent of the city’s total area.
Megan Kee — an organizer with the tenant collective No Demovictions — lives with her partner and baby at 55 Brownlow Ave., a 121-unit building that’s a four-minute walk from Mount Pleasant Station. (Full disclosure: co-author James Westman also lives at 55 Brownlow Ave. and wasn’t involved in the reporting around this location.)
In 2022, the building went up for sale and a bidding war ensued. Shortly after, QuadReal and Menkes Development, who bought the building, announced their intentions to demolish it. Kee believes that the area “being along a transit hub has made it a target” for developers wanting to buy the property and evict tenants. Neither QuadReal or Menkes Development responded to our request for comment.
Nine LRT stops westward of Mount Pleasant, close to Keelesdale Station, the residents of 80 Guestville Ave. say they’re dealing with renovictions — when a landlord evicts a tenant to make major renovations or repairs, often with the intention of increasing the rent for new tenants after the work is done.
Peter Rodriguez lives in the 56-unit building with his wife and two children. He says the tenants learned in 2024 that the building had been sold to landlord Micheal Klein — who’s been titled “The King of Renovictions” by some housing advocates. Six months later, they received an eviction notice. The landlord had told them he wanted to renovate the building.
Rodriguez believes that the current residents are being renovicted in bad faith so the landlord can charge more rent, especially now that Line 5 is close to completion. A recent rental listing at this location highlights the building’s “proximity to the Eglinton LRT.” Klein didn’t respond to our request for comment.
A short walk away from Rodriguez’s residence in the Beechborough-Greenbrook neighbourhood is 4 Greentree Court, a 42-unit building which is part of a complex of three properties called Clearview Heights, where Amy Nyp lives.
All three buildings have been fighting against above-guideline rent increases (AGI) since 2021 when the landlord, a real estate investment and development company called QMW Corp, first threatened an AGI.
Nyp is a member and organizing representative with the York South-Weston Tenant Union and believes that “the AGI could be tied to the LRT based on timing” as the line was due to start running in 2022 and the landlord originally applied for the AGI the year before.
A rental ad boasts that “the complex is close to the new Keelesdale Station which will offer even more conveniences upon the completion of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT line.” QMW Corp didn’t respond to our request for comment.
All three residents have, to varying degrees, successfully fought back against landlords through collective action, which we’ll dive into in Part 2 of our Action Journey.
For those who are looking to move closer to the LRT to take advantage of reduced transit times, we also mapped out the prices of rental listings — so you can check possible locations and average prices offered.
Do you want to read more about tenant rights? Or maybe you want to check out tipsheets and hotlines to navigate facing an eviction? Dive into our January 2025 Action Journey, all about what to do if you get an eviction notice.
Tenants who live near the LRT are longing for the chance to eventually use it — provided they can afford to stay in their homes.
Megan Kee, a housing activist who lives near the upcoming Mount Pleasant LRT Station, stresses that tenants are not opposed to growth. “We’re pro-transit, we’re pro-density,” she says. “But we’re advocating for responsible development and responsible density.”
For many residents, the irony is clear: While landlords stand to profit from the arrival of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, tenants themselves have borne the costs. Years of construction have brought disruption, and in some cases, the threat of displacement.
Still, most agree the new line would benefit the community — if they can remain long enough to use it.
Peter Rodriguez, resident of 80 Guestville Ave. near the Mount Dennis station, explains that he was waiting all these years to take the LRT downtown to work but that he’ll “probably leave before even riding [the line] once.”
Bruno Dobrusin, who also lives near a future stop and who organizes with the York South-Weston Tenants Union, says that many tenants in the surrounding buildings work in Scarborough and North York industrial areas. The Crosstown would shorten daily commutes. Yet, he adds, his neighbours are not celebrating. “They’re already living with the consequences, without having the benefits.”
“We’re pro-transit, we’re pro-density…But we’re advocating for responsible development and responsible density.”
Megan Kee, No Demovictions
“We’re pro-transit, we’re pro-density…But we’re advocating for responsible development and responsible density. “
Megan Kee, No Demovictions
For Amy Nyp, who lives near Keelesdale station and organizes with the Clearview Heights tenants, the construction itself has made travel more difficult.
“It’s caused a lot of backup when I go to Eglinton Avenue West, so it makes it harder to get to work,” she says. Once the line is up and running, she says it would likely cut her commute, provided she isn’t renovicted or demovicted.
Expanding transit in dense urban areas isn’t just good for residents — it also carries major climate benefits because it reduces car dependency, leading to lower carbon emissions and improved air quality, while also preserving agricultural land and green spaces.
However, tenants argue that allowing private developers to profit from new transit lines undermines the benefit to residents and the environment.
Dobrusin says the City should take a more active role in building housing rather than leaving it to developers. Publicly built housing, he argues, would mean less displacement, more efficient land use and shorter commutes. He points to Paris, where the municipality is “building social housing on top of new metro line stations.”
Kee makes a similar point. “There are empty lots and single-family homes as far as the eye can see,” she says. “But a dense, purpose-built, affordable rental building — the exact type of housing politicians say we need — is being demolished to make way for housing nobody can afford.”
Kee’s advice to other residents along the LRT who are concerned about being evicted is: “Talk to your neighbours, start a tenants’ association, talk to your neighbourhood groups and work together in solidarity to get the best possible outcome that you can”.
Construction is underway for many condo developments near different LRT stops. 📸: Anthony Lippa-Hardy/The Green Line.
Although, she explains that residents may not be able to stop a demoviction, “you can negotiate for better deals” and “ensure that your vulnerable citizens…have the support and amenities that they need.”
“The most important thing is to be relentless,” Kee says.
Similarly Dobrusin recommends that all tenants should organize “whether they live in a building or rent in a house.”
“The only way big landlords and developers, and the politicians who are sponsored by them, will be challenged is by collective organizing, protesting and showing there is resistance to the process of displacement,” he adds.
Are you worried about receiving an eviction notice or above-guideline rent increase? Dive into guides and tools for digestible information and step-by-step actions you can take.
How renters near the Eglinton Crosstown are fighting to benefit from the new transit line
Tenants and organizers across three buildings near LRT stations share how they successfully fought eviction notices and rent increases to stay in affordable apartments near the new line.
The York South-Weston Tenant Union organized a protest on July 31, 2025 outside 80 Guestville Ave. to celebrate the City of Toronto’s new renoviction bylaw. 📸: Anthony Lippa-Hardy/The Green Line.
“It was a year and a half of meetings, of protests, of talking to the media, trying to get the best deal that we possibly could,” says Megan Kee, an organizer with No Demovictions and tenant at 55 Brownlow Ave.
The strategy paid off and gave the tenants leverage in their fight against their demoviction — and ultimately helped them win, Kee argues.
We asked Kee and three other organizers and activists who live near the Eglinton Crosstown for their advice to tenants who might also face evictions and rent increases. Read the full story to learn what helped them succeed in their fights.
Can You Afford To Live Along the Eglinton Crosstown?
We mapped out the apartment buildings along the Eglinton LRT, so new renters can explore the average prices and options available.
Rental signs near the future Mount Pleasant LRT station. 📸: James Westman/The Green Line.
With the Eglinton Crosstown LRT eventually set to open and connect communities across the city, many Torontonians are hoping to move close to the line.
If that describes you and you’re not sure where to start looking, we got you.
We created this Eglinton Rentals Map with all the apartment buildings that are within 800 metres of an LRT station. We called leasing offices, compared prices listed online and even checked out some buildings in person.
Here’s your chance to support the only independent, hyperlocal news outlet dedicated to serving gen Zs, millennials and other underserved communities in Toronto. Donate now to support The Green Line.
New transit’s moving in: How to deal with rent and evictions
A community dinner and Story Circle hosted by The Green Line.
About the Event
Tuesday
Oct. 21, 2025
6 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET
Centre for Social Innovation720 Bathurst St.
RSVP
Everybody wants to live near transit, but nobody can pay the crazy price 💸🚊
Toronto’s been promised new transit from the Eglinton LRT to the Ontario line. But when rails move in, rents go up. You know it’s coming for you.
But don’t worry, you’re not the first and you’re not alone.
The Green Line is hosting Story Circles and a community dinner at the Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) in the Annex. Join us on Tuesday, Oct. 21 from 6 to 9 p.m. to talk about how to deal with the inevitable disruption and rent hikes when transit is built in your neighbourhood.
We’re zooming in on the case of the Eglinton Crosstown, which we explore in this month’s issue.
Bruno Dobrusin from the York South-Weston Tenant Union will share concrete advice for renters looking to fight for affordable housing near transit, based on his own experience living near the LRT.
Bruno Dobrusin is an organizer with the York South-Weston Tenant Union, a union of tenants in north-west Toronto who have been organizing against rent increases and displacement. Bruno is originally from Argentina and came to Canada eight years ago. He lives close to the future Eglinton LRT, hoping one day folks in the neighbourhood will be able to benefit from good transit without being pushed out of their homes.
Along with Bruno’s presentation, we’ll also have resource tables featuring local organizations, including the Federation of Metro Tenants’ Associations (FMTA), the Little Jamaica Community Land Trust, No Demovictions, Don Valley Community Legal Services and TTC riders.
Delicious catering will be served by Heavenly Perogy, so don’t miss out!
Our event is Pay What You Can, as we want to include as many Torontonians as possible in this conversation.
If you’d like to support our team in continuing to host community-focused events like this, we’d appreciate a contribution of $31 to help us fully cover operational costs. If this is above your budget, we’d appreciate a payment of $10. If that’s still a barrier to you joining us, you can contribute as much as you’re able.
RSVP before spots fill up.
Events are an essential part of our Action Journey. We want to empower Torontonians to take action on the issues they learn about in The Green Line — so what better way to do that than by bringing people together? From community members to industry leaders, anyone in Toronto who’s invested in discussing and solving the problems explored in our features is invited to attend. All ages are welcome unless otherwise indicated. Our only guidelines? Be present. Listen. Be kind and courteous. Respect everyone’s privacy. Hate speech and bullying are absolutely not tolerated. At the end of the day, if you had fun and feel inspired after our events, then The Green Line team will have accomplished what we set out to do. Any questions?Contact Us.
Event attendees talk about the issues they’ve faced with housing near new transit, and how they navigated them during Story Circles. 📷📸 Anthony Lippa-Hardy/The Green Line.
Event Overview
See what you missed
from our latest event.
Our community members brainstormed solutions for stable housing near transit.
Compiled by James Westman.
Anyika Mark, coordinator of the Little Jamaica Community Land Trust, talks about her organization's work in supporting local residents and businesses. 📷 : Lucas Bustinski/The Green Line.Laura Anonen, from the Don Valley Community Legal Services, talks about her concerns with displacement happening in transit-oriented communities near the new Ontario Line. 📷 : Lucas Bustinski/The Green Line.Event attendees talk about what solutions and resources exist to support tenants during Story Circles. 📷 : Anthony Lippa-Hardy/The Green Line.
SOLUTIONS
NAME AND SHAME BAD LANDLORDS
Attendees discussed strategies to bring public attention to the struggles of tenants’ who are experiencing demovictions, renovictions or lack of maintenance.
Some of these include: Dropping banners off balconies and putting signs in windows, posting videos online of landlords harassing tenants (if applicable), protesting outside the landlords home by making noise, such as Christmas caroling, and posting negative Google reviews of the landlord to warn new potential tenants about them.
“That’s social pressure, like people discount it and sure, like there’s a lot of landlords who may have no shame…but when they’re publicly shamed and their reputation’s on the line, it can be very effective,” one participant said.
PARTICIPATE IN LOCAL DECISION-MAKING
Attendees expressed the importance of having renters represented in government in general, and on advisory committees for infrastructure projects in their neighbourhood.
“I demand to be in those spaces,” participant and housing activist Sharlene Henry said. “Organizing like this taught me that we need to be at the table no matter what ‘cause we all pay taxes.”
While community members might not always be able to join infrastructure committees pertaining to their neighbourhood, they can often speak at public meetings related to upcoming transit lines:
Toronto’s Housing Rights Advisory Committee always has applications open to join, and it holds regularly meetings where the public can speak.
Participants also stressed that making changes to municipal and provincial laws around tenancy are an essential solution.
“We need more tenants elected,” says Laura Anonen, of the Don Valley Community Legal Services. “We need to elect people that will implement vacancy control and bring back rent control,” she adds.
CREATE EASY WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
Attendees pointed out that when neighbours come together to fight displacement, each person has different skills and levels of comfort speaking up and publicly protesting, whether against a landlord or at a consultation for transit development.
They emphasized the importance of making it easy for everyone to get involved.
“ You have to try a lot of different tactics. It’s experimentation, it’s being creative and it’s using the gifts you have at your disposal. And the gifts are the things that your tenants or your community bring to the table, right?” one attendee shared.
Suggestions for low barrier actions included door knocking, writing letters, running social media accounts — or even organizing a building potluck or Halloween party to get neighbours to meet.
ACTIONS
Do something about the problems that
impact you and your communities.
Join a community land trust
Community land trusts purchase land or properties to provide long-term, stable and affordable housing for members. Note: Eligibility to join varies, and there can be long waitlists to move into housing owned by CLT.
If your landlord’s negligent in maintenance and repairs, you can get the city to inspect your apartment and hold your landlord accountable.
Note: This only applies to buildings with three or more storeys, and 10 or more units.
You can file a complaint at the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) if your landlord neglected maintenance, entered without notice, withheld services or harassed you. Filing complaints shifts the dynamic away from tenants being on the defense at the LTB, and can help you get compensated.
Bruno Dobrusin from the York South-Weston Tenant Union shares step-by-step tips to fight a renoviction during our October Action Journey at the Centre for Social Innovation. 📷: Lucas Bustinski/The Green Line. Become a Green Liner to get exclusive access to our events and meet a community of people who want to rewrite Toronto’s identity together.
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