We Won’t Be Locked Out

The long-vacant property at 214–230 Sherbourne Street has become a symbol of Toronto’s deepening housing crisis – and the site of a determined community campaign to reclaim it for social housing.

For more than two years, 230 Fightback, a grassroots coalition of residents and anti-poverty advocates, has challenged corporate developer KingSett Capital, demanding that the property be converted into affordable housing rather than luxury condominiums. The group argues that this fight is about more than one address – it’s about the right of low-income residents to remain in their communities.

At a recent community block party outside the property, residents gathered with signs reading “We won’t be locked out of our community.” The event featured food, music, and speakers from across the city who are part of similar housing struggles.

Activist John Clarke of 230 Fightback said the group is pushing back against “corporate speculation and political inaction.” Longtime advocate Gaetan Heroux recalled that the building once housed more than a hundred tenants, calling its emptiness “a failure of social responsibility.” Ahsen Bhatti from the Moss Park Coalition added that grassroots organizing remains key to advancing housing justice and community safety.

With affordable housing demand at record levels, advocates say transforming 230 Sherbourne into social housing would send a powerful message: Toronto’s communities won’t wait to be housed.

Video produced by Regent Park TV.