From Tongs to Trusts: Mutual Aid in Toronto's Chinatown

From Tongs to Trusts: Mutual Aid in Toronto's Chinatown

In this episode of New Housing Alternatives, hosts Cherise Burda and Dr. Ren Thomas speak with Chiyi Tam, urban planner, anti‑displacement organizer, and Managing Director & co‑founder of the Toronto Chinatown Land Trust. They explore how Chinatowns function as complex social and economic ecosystems, and how the community land trust (CLT) model can help protect housing, small businesses, and cultural spaces in the face of intense displacement pressures. Chiyi traces a lineage from historic tongs—diasporic clan and hometown associations that pooled funds to buy property, house workers, and offer near-interest-free loans—to today’s community land trusts in Toronto’s West Chinatown, Boston, and Los Angeles. She explains why conventional planning tools and “housing‑only” funding streams don’t fit a neighbourhood where people often live, work, and socialize in the same spaces, and shares how the Toronto Chinatown Land Trust is partnering with a tong to redevelop an ancestral hall at 217 Augusta into seniors’ housing and community space. Key Takeaways * Chinatown is an ecosystem, not a single project. Rather than one organization “representing” Chinatown, the neighbourhood is sustained by overlapping networks of kung fu clubs, mahjong halls, family associations, tongs, BIAs, artists, and multiple levels of government, all tied together by relationships and mutual aid.   * Community land trusts are governance models, not one‑off housing fixes. CLTs are neighborhood‑wide, multi‑stakeholder real estate cooperatives that permanently steward land and buildings for community benefit, resisting the extraction of profit from private property—even when projects focus on housing.   * Housing, work, and culture are inseparable in Chinatown. From people sleeping behind laundries to nail salons in condo units, everyday life in Chinatown ignores the rigid separations of residential, commercial, and cultural uses that shape zoning, policy, and funding silos. Holistic solutions are essential.   * Tongs were proto‑CLTs rooted in mutual aid. Historically, tongs bought property together, ran internal lending systems, and helped members survive racist labour regimes and exclusionary housing markets—functioning as democratically controlled, member‑based land stewards long before the term “community land trust” existed.   * A succession crisis threatens deeply affordable housing. As 80- and 90‑year‑old tong leaders retire and pass away, many are selling off properties that have quietly housed low‑income seniors and bachelors for as little as $100/month, putting irreplaceable affordability and cultural spaces at risk.   * Partnerships can unlock new models of community ownership. By partnering with the Hainan Association of Ontario on the redevelopment of its clubhouse, the Toronto Chinatown Land Trust is piloting a model where younger generations step in as development partners and long‑term stewards—supporting seniors’ housing, cultural practice, and community control of land. Chapters: 00:00 – Intro: New Housing Alternatives and this episode’s focus  00:28 – Why look beyond “broken housing” narratives?  00:46 – Introducing guest: urban planner and organizer Chiyi Tam 02:00 – What is a community land trust, really? Governance vs. “housing solution”  04:19 – From Kensington Market to Chinatown: what makes this CLT different?  04:55 – Why zoning silos don’t fit how people live and work in Chinatown  09:17 – Painting a picture of mixed homes, businesses, and third spaces  10:02 – The Chinatown ecosystem: Cooperation between Chinatown and many stakeholders  11:05 – Kung fu clubs, mahjong halls, tongs, BIAs, and elected offices  14:06 – Balancing culture, heritage, and staying focused on land stewardship  16:44 – Walking tour reflections and the question: what are tongs?  17:20 – Tongs 101: global Chinese mutual aid and association halls  19:20 – Railways, burial traditions, and the birth of Chinatowns  21:55 – Karaoke fundraisers, fictitious kin, and buying property together  23:55 – Tongs as proto–community land trusts and social finance systems  25:44 – The succession crisis and losing $100/month rooms  26:43 – “Now I want to buy a tong building”: urgency and opportunity  27:04 – Has the recent market downturn helped?  27:31 – Why land is still expensive, and owners still need “full market value”  28:45 – First big project: redeveloping 217 Augusta with the Hainan Association  29:20 – Seniors’ housing, cultural space, and being first in North America  30:49 – Closing thoughts on optimism and community‑led land governance  31:20 – How to learn more and get involved: ChinatownLandTrust.ca  32:21 – Episode wrap‑up, research links, and credits  33:02 – Disclaimer: diversity of views within the partnership and funder   New Housing Alternatives is made possible with the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Explore our Vision & Objectives, Research Clusters & Projects, and subscribe to our blog at:   https://newhousingalternatives.ca/blog

Transit, Timber, and Co-Ops

In this episode of New Housing Alternatives, hosts Cherise Burda and Dr. Ren Thomas speak with Graeme Hussey, President of Nesting Ground and Director of Affordable Housing at Windmill Developments. They explore how a sustainability‑focused private developer is partnering with non‑profits and co‑ops to deliver low‑carbon, mixed‑income housing, using the One Planet Living framework to make affordability and sustainability core requirements rather than trade‑offs. Graeme walks through flagship projects like the Kennedy Station co‑op community at 2444 Eglinton East, a nine‑storey mass‑timber building at 230 Royal York, and a 400‑unit, transit‑oriented mass‑timber development at 1460 Riverside Drive in Ottawa. He also breaks down the policy tools needed to scale this work—predictable low‑cost financing, municipal fee and tax relief, and federal support for offsite and prefab construction to unlock more climate‑aligned non‑market housing. Key Takeaways   * Mixed market and non‑market housing is becoming the new normal. With high costs and declining affordability, many viable projects now blend market units with deeply affordable or co‑op homes in the same buildings, backed by partnerships and layered incentives.   * Scale matters for non‑profit housing. It can take similar effort to build 20 units as 200; organizations like Nesting Ground aim to tackle the housing crisis by doing fewer, larger, multi‑hundred‑unit projects, often in multiple municipalities.   * Sustainability is no longer optional. For long‑term non‑profit owners, energy efficiency, low operating costs, and low‑carbon materials (like mass timber) are central to both climate goals and affordability over the building’s life.   * Modern methods of construction (MMC) and offsite building are key enablers. Prefab and offsite construction can deliver faster, better‑quality, more energy‑efficient buildings, and align well with federal priorities such as Build Canada Homes—if policy and funding de‑risk this sector.   * Policy levers need to align across governments. Federal low‑cost loans, provincial support, and municipal waivers of fees and property taxes can dramatically change the math for non‑profit and co‑op projects, shifting resources from hard costs into deeper affordability.   * Partnerships are the backbone of innovation. From co‑ops at Kennedy Station to mass‑timber towers in Ottawa, collaboration between private developers, non‑profits, community housing providers, and governments is crucial for delivering both affordability and climate action at scale. Chapters: 00:00 – Intro & Episode Overview  00:37 – Why Focus on New Housing Alternatives? Models that Actually Work  01:39 – Introducing Graeme Hussey, Windmill Developments, and Nesting Ground  02:30 – What Makes Windmill Different as a Private Developer?  02:57 – Dockside Green, Zibi, and 25 Years of Sustainable Development  04:48 – One Planet Living: A Framework for Affordability and Sustainability  05:07 – Partnering with Non‑Profits to Deliver Affordable Housing  07:28 – Why Mix Market and Non‑Market Housing in the Same Projects?  09:34 – Nesting Ground’s Mission: Scaling Non‑Profit Housing Across Cities  09:58 – Why Small Projects Take the Same Effort as Large Ones  12:27 – Housing and Climate: How MMC and Offsite Construction Fit In  13:07 – From Energy Efficiency to Embodied Carbon and Mass Timber  15:16 – 230 Royal York: Ontario’s Tallest Residential Mass‑Timber Building  16:48 – Inside the Kennedy Station Co‑op Project at 2444 Eglinton East  17:31 – Co‑ops, Mixed Income Models, and Zero‑Carbon Design  20:00 – Three Things Policymakers Need to Understand About Financing  20:18 – No Magic Bullet: Why Every Sector Has a Role  21:08 – Predictable Low‑Cost Financing and the Scale of Investment Needed  22:20 – Municipal Tools: Development Charges and Property Taxes  24:36 – Federal Leadership, Build Canada Homes, and the Prefab Sector  27:16 – 1460 Riverside Drive: A 400‑Unit Mass‑Timber TOD in Ottawa  28:35 – What It Means to See Your Projects Built on the Ground  30:53 – Timelines, Construction Speed, and Mass Timber vs. Concrete  31:39 – Collaboration, Replication, and Competing to Build the “Coolest” Projects  32:40 – Closing Reflections, Optimism, and Credits   New Housing Alternatives is made possible with the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Explore our Vision & Objectives, Research Clusters & Projects, and subscribe to our blog at: https://newhousingalternatives.ca/blog

From Tree to Home: Local Passive Panels, Prefab Housing, and Distributed Manufacturing

In this episode of New Housing Alternatives, hosts Cherise Burda and Dr. Ren Thomas speak with Melinda Zytaruk, CEO of Tooketree Passive Homes, a social enterprise that factory‑produces low‑carbon, high‑performance building panels. Together, they explore how offsite construction can deliver faster, more affordable, and climate‑resilient housing—while also creating safer, more stable local jobs. Melinda explains how panelized construction works, from sourcing Ontario wood and recycled cellulose to assembling precision panels in a controlled factory environment and partnering with builders on-site. She challenges dominant narratives about “industrialized” modular housing—like the idea that big, robot‑filled factories are the answer—and instead makes the case for a distributed network of small and medium panel producers embedded in local communities. They also unpack how federal initiatives like Build Canada Homes and “modern methods of construction” can support (or constrain) this ecosystem, why integrated design and early collaboration matter more for cost than any single technology, and how offsite construction can align with non‑market housing, co‑ops, and land trusts to deliver long‑term affordability and climate resilience. Key Takeaways * Offsite construction is about people, not robots. Successful modular and panelized housing companies rely on skilled workers and collaborative teams—not vast, automated warehouses—creating safer, more accessible jobs (including for people traditionally excluded from construction). * Factory‑built panels can be both low‑carbon and cost‑competitive. By integrating design early, reducing waste, and standardizing processes (while still customizing each building enclosure), panel producers can deliver Passive House–level performance without necessarily increasing as‑built costs. * Local supply chains strengthen both climate and community outcomes. Tooketree’s panels use Ontario wood, recycled cellulose, and wood fibre insulation from Quebec, adding value to regional forestry and manufacturing while reducing emissions and supporting local economies. * Distributed manufacturing builds resilience. A network of small, community‑based factories across Canada can share work, smooth demand, and avoid the vulnerability of “picking a few big winners” that may fail or face delays. * Policy and finance must recognize pre‑construction and cash‑flow realities. Programs like Build Canada Homes can unlock capacity if they fund early design and collaborative planning, and address the “chicken‑and‑egg” problem of paying for materials and fabrication before panels arrive on site—especially for non‑profits, co‑ops, and land trusts. Chapters: 00:00 – Intro & Episode Overview 00:37 – Why Prefab and Offsite Construction for Housing? 01:56 – Introducing Melinda Zytaruk & Tooketree Passive Homes 02:38 – Trade Show Pitch: Building Faster, More Affordable, and Low‑Carbon 03:48 – Why Build Panels Indoors? Jobs, Safety, and Work‑Life Balance 05:17 – What Offsite Construction Really Looks Like (Not a Warehouse of Robots) 07:16 – Custom Panels, Shop Drawings, and Design Flexibility 08:39 – From Single‑Family Homes to Co‑ops and Non‑Market Housing 09:55 – Acting as Project Integrator and Design‑Assist Partner 10:44 – High‑Performance Goals: Passive House, Net Zero, and Low‑Carbon Enclosures 11:17 – Social Enterprise Values and Scaling Up to Multi‑Unit Housing 12:32 – Long‑Term Affordability and Operating Costs 13:22 – Is Offsite Construction Too Good to Be True? Costs, Myths, and Evidence 14:47 – Why Collaboration and Integrated Design Drive Cost More Than Technology 15:52 – Certifications: CSA, Passive House, and Net Zero Builders 16:23 – Sourcing Ontario Wood, Recycled Cellulose, and High‑Performance Membranes 18:06 – Supply Chain Vulnerabilities and Local Supplier Relationships 19:05 – From Tree to Home: Forest Jobs, Value‑Added Manufacturing, and Assembly 19:45 – Training Builders and GCs to Assemble Panels on Site 20:26 – How Offsite Construction Expands (Not Replaces) Local Construction Jobs 21:01 – What Policies Support Distributed Panel Producers? 21:40 – Build Canada Homes, Insurance, and Climate‑Resilient Housing 23:10 – The Need for Pre‑Construction Funding and Early‑Stage Design Support 24:18 – Cash Flow, Deposits, and the Modular “Chicken‑and‑Egg” Problem 26:00 – Industrialization vs. a Diverse, Distributed Offsite Ecosystem 26:27 – Why Small and Medium Local Factories Make the Sector More Resilient 27:29 – Collaboration Over Cut‑Throat Competition in a Housing and Health Crisis 28:43 – Centring Community, Well‑Being, and Human Rights in How We Build 29:49 – Closing Reflections, Optimism, and Credits Learn more about the Tooketree Passive Homes here: https://www.tooketree.com/ New Housing Alternatives is made possible with the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Explore our Vision & Objectives and Research Clusters & Projects, and subscribe to our blog at the link below: https://newhousingalternatives.ca/blog [https://newhousingalternatives.ca/blog]

Community Land Trusts and the Future of Kensington Market

In this episode of New Housing Alternatives, hosts Cherise Burda and Dr. Ren Thomas speak with Dominique Russell, writer, activist, teacher, and co‑director of the Kensington Market Community Land Trust (KMCLT). Together, they explore how community land trusts (CLTs) use collective ownership, organizing, and mutual aid to fight displacement and preserve deeply affordable housing and commercial spaces in Toronto’s Kensington Market. Drawing on a decade of neighborhood organizing—from stopping a proposed Walmart to acquiring three mixed‑use buildings—Dominique explains how CLTs decommodify land, center community power, and reimagine what “ownership” can look like. She discusses funding tools like Toronto’s Multi‑Unit Residential Acquisition (MURA) program and community bonds, and reflects on how CLTs across Canada are increasingly grounding their work in decolonization, land back, and social justice. Key Takeaways * Community land trusts (CLTs) decommodify land and housing: CLTs are democratically controlled, neighborhood‑based nonprofits that acquire and hold land for community benefit, prioritizing security of tenure and affordable homes and commercial spaces over market returns. * Organizing comes before funding: KMCLT’s story shows that successful acquisition and financing (through tools like Toronto’s MURA program and community bonds) only become possible after deep community organizing, knowing your neighbors, and building a shared, representative vision for the neighborhood. * CLTs are part of a broader movement for decolonization and social justice: KMCLT and other members of the Canadian Network of Community Land Trusts are increasingly centring land back, decolonization, and racial justice—redefining community ownership as mutual aid, local power, and long‑term resistance to displacement and gentrification. Chapters: 00:00 – Intro & Episode Overview 00:39 – Introducing Dominique Russell & Kensington Market CLT 01:25 – What Is a Community Land Trust? CLTs vs. Nonprofit Housing 04:13 – Why Kensington? Neighbourhood Preservation and Mission 04:39 – KMCLT’s Buildings on Kensington and Spadina 07:30 – From Anti‑Walmart Campaign to Community Land Trust 10:54 – Organizing Before Funding: Building a Representative CLT 11:04 – Acquisition, MURA, and Protecting Vulnerable Rental Housing 14:23 – Community Bonds and Financing Community Ownership 16:40 – Community Support, Short‑Term Rentals, and Displacement 19:24 – Advice for Communities Wanting to Start a CLT 21:20 – Future of KMCLT: Leadership Transition and Decolonizing Practice 23:30 – Relationship to Chinatown and Business Ecology 26:25 – Love of Place as the Emotional Core of CLT Work 28:58 – Local Organizing and the Wider CLT Movement 29:45 – Reflections & Key Lessons from Kensington Market 30:18 – Outro, Show Notes, and Credits Learn more about the Kensington Market Community Land Trust here: https://kmclt.ca/ New Housing Alternatives is made possible with the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Explore our Vision & Objectives and Research Clusters & Projects, and subscribe to our blog at the link below: https://newhousingalternatives.ca/blog [https://newhousingalternatives.ca/blog]

The Co-operative Comeback

In this episode of New Housing Alternatives, hosts Cherise Burda and Ren Thomas speak with Tim Ross, CEO of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada), about why co‑operative housing is one of Canada’s most promising – and underused – tools for tackling the housing crisis. Tim explains what housing co‑ops are, how they differ from other forms of non‑market housing, and why they offer stability, community, and long-term affordability in ways that market housing often cannot. Drawing on decades of sector experience and recent federal policy wins, Tim walks us through the renewed momentum behind co‑ops: the National Housing Strategy, the $1.5 billion Co-op Housing Development Program, new partnerships with municipalities and the private sector, and landmark projects like the major new co‑op at Toronto’s Eglinton Crosstown site. He also unpacks the practical challenges of growing the sector – from capital repairs in aging co-ops to governance capacity among member‑volunteers – and what it will take to scale co-operative housing across Canada. Key Takeaways * Co-op housing is democratic, community‑centred, and non‑speculative. Members govern through elected boards and collective decision‑making, giving them real power over their housing in ways most nonprofit and private rental models do not. * Co-ops provide security of tenure and long-term affordability. Because they are nonprofit and not traded on speculative markets, co-ops shield members from demovictions, renovictions, and extreme rent hikes. * Co-ops house diverse, mixed‑income communities. They intentionally combine low-income households (often with rent supplements) with seniors, families, students, newcomers, and workers in one stable community. * Policy is finally catching up after decades of neglect. Following years of federal withdrawal from non‑market housing, the National Housing Strategy and CHF Canada’s advocacy have secured $1.5B for new co-op development, $500M in rental assistance, and new sector support. * Co-op rents increasingly outpace the market—in a good way. CHF Canada’s research shows co-op housing charges were already $150–$200/month below comparable private rents and, by 2021, the gap had widened to $400–$500/month, generating major long-term savings for members. Chapters: 00:00 – Intro & Episode Overview 00:21 – Introducing Tim Ross & CHF Canada 02:10 – What Is Co-op Housing? Governance, Tenure & Community 04:45 – Why Don’t We See More Co-ops? Policy Gaps & “Tortoise vs. Hare” Development 07:30 – Who Lives in Co-ops? Mixed-Income Models & Diverse Households 11:20 – Member Governance, Volunteer Roles & Capacity Challenges 14:30 – Aging Co-ops, Capital Planning & Renewal Needs 15:52 – Can Co-ops Grow? Financing Tools & the Co-op Housing Development Program 18:25 – Public Land, Federal Programs & Scaling New Co-op Supply 21:15 – Private Sector Partnerships & the Eglinton Crosstown Co-op Project 21:37 – Affordability: How Co-op Rents Compare to Market Rents Over Time 23:57 – Public Opinion, Polling Results & Cross‑Partisan Support for Co-ops 27:01 – Where to Learn More: CHF Canada Resources & Getting Involved 27:43 – Outro & Credits Learn more about CHF Canada and co-operative housing development on their website and social channels, including their “build” section for organizations interested in starting or expanding co-ops: https://chfcanada.coop/build/why-build/ New Housing Alternatives is made possible with the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Explore our Vision & Objectives and Research Clusters & Projects, and subscribe to our blog at the link below: https://newhousingalternatives.ca/blog/ [https://newhousingalternatives.ca/blog/]