With the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Toronto now easily surpassing $2,400, it seems like the topic of affordable housing is on everyone's mind — especially given the city's rising cost of living and sky-high grocery prices. 

blogTO recently caught up with Leader of Canada's New Democratic Party (NDP), Jagmeet Singh, to discuss the city's housing and rent crisis. 

The Scarborough-born politician was in town last week to visit 1845 Gerrard St. E., a residential building that was recently acquired by not-for-profit housing provider, St. Jude Community Homes (SJCH), through the City's Multi-Unit Residential Acquisition (MURA) program to maintain affordable rental housing. 

Singh was joined by NDP Toronto-Danforth candidate Clare Hacksel to urge the federal government to establish a fund to protect Toronto renters in the upcoming budget, by helping not-for-profit organizations buy affordable housing when it's on the market. 

@blogto Jagmeet Singh has a vision for Toronto 🤔 #Fyp #ForYou #Fy #Toronto #Ontario #Canada #TorontoOntario #TorontoCanada #OntarioCanada #JagmeetSingh #Rent #RealEstate #TikTokToronto #TorontoTikTok #TorontoRealEstate #TorontoRent #NDP #Government #CanadianGovernment ♬ original sound - blogTO

"Toronto will always have a special place in my heart. I was born in Scarborough. I have had the honour of living in Toronto, and a lot of my best memories are in the City of Toronto. Right now…it's feeling like more and more a place where people can’t afford to live. It's going to take away from the vibrancy and the beauty of this amazing place," Singh told blogTO. 

"I want you to know my vision for Toronto is a city that is affordable, that a university student can come here, live here for those four years of going to school, and then end up putting the roots here and staying here. For people who are here for work, I don't want you to think of this as a place that is just passing between where you find your permanent home," he continued. 

"I've been to cities around the world like Berlin in Germany, where you could live in the downtown core of that city as a student or a young professional or a young family and you can find a place that is incredibly affordable. We can do that here in Toronto, but it's going to take some changes," Singh explained. 

"First thing is we've got to keep homes that are affordable, affordable. Second is we've got to build affordable places for people to live, whether it's to own or to rent.

According to Rentals.ca's national March 2024 rent report, the average rent price now stands at $2,495 for a one-bedroom apartment and $3,287 for a two-bedroom apartment.