• Society

    The downsides of Airbnb

    Airbnb is increasingly becoming the accommodation of choice for would-be travellers, especially those looking for unique experiences. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, you could find two million people staying in Airbnb options worldwide on any given night. Of those people, 60 per cent were millennials. Most guests were looking for vacation options that allowed them to live like locals, and to learn about other communities and cultures. Airbnb’s mission statement, according to its website, is to “create a world where anyone can belong anywhere.” Its business platform is simple: Airbnb provides a platform on its website and app that connects travellers with homeowners. This allows homeowners to rent out their homes—partially or fully—to travellers in…

  • Society

    If not now, when?

    Homelessness in Canada is a major issue.  The Homeless Hub estimates a minimum of 35,000 individuals experience homelessness on any given night. At least 235,000 Canadians experience homelessness over the course of a year. In Toronto, it is estimated that roughly 8000 individuals are homeless on a given night. It wasn’t always like this Up until the 1980s, homelessness wasn’t much of an issue in Canada. In fact, the word ‘homeless’ was not used in public policy.  Instead, terms such as “transient” were used to describe people in insecure housing situations. This is because investment in social housing was much higher at the time, and so there was not a significant number…