This past weekend the United Way Greater Toronto opened people’s eyes to the realities of rising rent through an unconventional “condo” viewing.

Alongside agency partner Sid Lee, the non-profit transformed an underground 150 sq ft. residential parking spot into an affordable one-bedroom rental opportunity for $250/month. It’s meant to illustrate how the combination of rising rent and stagnant wages have left many feeling that the only space they can afford to live in is not really fit for human habitation.

The OpenHouse exhibit was held Saturday evening alongside, though not officially part of, Nuit Blanche, as well as a host of other activities taking place in the city of Toronto. It invited people to get a first-hand look at the “rental unit” and discover how they can be part of the solution.

Sid Lee tells strategy it invited “key people from the housing industry, influencers and media.”

Posters demonstrating condo living room dimensions of 4′ by 8.6′ were put up all over downtown Toronto, as well as near the 80 Atlantic Ave event space, with similar posts on United Way Greater Toronto’s Instagram account.

According to the Rental Market Report for 2023, the average for a one-bedroom condo in Toronto is currently $2,532, up 11.6% from 2022. Two-bedroom apartments, meanwhile, saw a 9.2% rise.

The housing crisis that’s happening across the country, particularly in the Greater Toronto Area, spurred the agency’s call to action. During Saturday’s OpenHouse, the public, media and key industry stakeholders were invited to learn more about critical policy changes including rent control, inclusionary zoning and rental unit replacement, and were given tools to spread awareness.

“As we walk through this transformed parking space, we’re not just witnessing a visual representation of the crisis; we’re seeing firsthand the housing struggle that so many in our community endure every day,” says Daniele Zanotti, president and CEO at United Way Greater Toronto. “It’s a reminder that behind the statistics are real people, real families, and real dreams that are slipping away.”

United Way Greater Toronto is working to address the full continuum of housing challenges; from homelessness and supportive housing to rental affordability, including the work UWGT does to meet immediate needs for many facing housing insecurity and homelessness.

“The data is clear: the housing affordability crisis in the GTHA has been at a breaking point for years,” says Annie Hodgins, executive director at Canadian Centre for Housing Rights, a United Way partner, adding that the OpenHouse is a “vital conversation starter.”