Over half of Torontonians tax filers are making less than $38,500 per year, according to research by the Toronto Foundation. As you can imagine, that’s not nearly enough to cover basics like rent and food and still have the time and money to go out — all of which costs an estimated $61,654 to $83,680 per year, according to the Wellesley Institute’s “Thriving in the City” report.

Of course, the numbers will vary from one person to another but we can all agree: Living in the city is expensive, and we often don’t have the extra money to spend on a drink with friends or a ticket to a local play.

At the national level, TheHumanKind 2024 study found that almost half of Gen Z and 48 per cent of millennials in Canada say that they’re financially hanging on by the skin of their teeth. Nearly 60 per cent of Gen Z are spending so much on essential items that they have very little left to spend on experiences that bring them joy.

What’s more, research shows that financial hardship is related to mental wellbeing. TheHumanKind report found that 77 per cent of Gen Z and 72 per cent of millennials in Canada report feeling lonely sometimes.

Last November, we explored how Torontonians are lonelier now than ever. When we hosted our Action Journey event at the end of the year, our event attendees told us that building meaningful community is important to them, but it’s hard to find spaces to hang out with old friends — and even harder to find the right places to make new ones.

That's what makes affordable and accessible third spaces so important. It allows people to gather and build a community without financial barriers.

But what are third spaces, and where do we find them? Find out in our videos, below.