Tenants share their voice at Spring TCATs
Tenants involved in a roundtable discussion at TCAT
More than 300 tenants attended the spring Tenant Community Action Table (TCAT) meetings across the West, East, and Central regions. Created in partnership with the City of Toronto, these TCATs aimed to give tenants a voice in shaping policies, programs, and budgets.
This year’s TCATs were the first held under Toronto Community Housing’s new Engage Together model. Under this model, TCATs are now open to all tenants. More people across the city have a chance to share their experience, learn new skills, and influence decisions that affect their lives.
Each TCAT began with a welcome from TCHC leadership and City staff. Next, Mayor Olivia Chow spoke. At each TCAT, Mayor Chow spoke about making changes in the City through storytelling, practical ideas and honest feedback from tenants. She was then joined by tenant speakers at each event, to share their own stories. At the West Region TCAT, tenant Jamil Mohammed shared how he helped open a youth space in his community at Tobermory. His story showed how tenant leadership can lead to real changes by bringing new opportunities of growth for young people in the community.
After this, everyone participated in roundtable discussions. Tenants shared their lived experiences, asked important questions, and talked about their priorities for Toronto. This included things like improving TCHC buildings, making transit more accessible, and ideas for safer communities. Facilitators at each table collected feedback to help inform the City’s future decisions and Budget.
The impact of TCATs goes beyond just one night. These events also build long-term skills and leadership. Tenants learned how to stay engaged by joining or forming Tenant Circles, participating in City consultations, or applying for leadership roles like Tenant Directors or advisory committee members.
The Spring 2025 TCATs showed the power of community and the value of tenant voices. Thank you to everyone who attended, joined in the discussions, and shared your inspiring ideas.
