Overview
The Housing Justice Lab is a pioneering research initiative committed to exposing, analyzing, and improving housing justice across North American cities. Under the leadership of Principal Investigator Professor Prentiss A. Dantzler, our lab engages in community-centered research with an aim towards capacity building, knowledge mobilization, and policy advocacy.
Our work is rooted in a community development perspective, focusing on understanding needs and visions for effective housing solutions. We aim to create a more equitable housing landscape by understanding and addressing the unique challenges faced by racialized communities.
Launched in July 2024 at the School of Cities, University of Toronto, the Housing Justice Lab expands upon three critical initiatives: the Racial Equity and Anti-Displacement Initiative (READI), the Ensuring Quality Urban Affordable Living Initiative (EQUALI), and the Fostering Reparative Equity for Empowered Living Initiative (FREELI). These initiatives are dedicated to mitigating eviction impacts on racialized households in the Greater Toronto Area and promoting social housing development, management, and expansion across North America.
About us
The Housing Justice Lab, led by Professor Prentiss A. Dantzler an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Faculty Advisor at the School of Cities, is committed to innovatively tackling housing inequities through community-driven research.
The Housing Justice Lab focuses on housing justice, racial equity, and anti-displacement strategies in North American cities.
Our team is comprised of researchers from a variety of professional and academic backgrounds, ranging from policy analysts to transportation engineers.
Cities are pivotal to North America’s economic prosperity and social vitality. However, rapid urbanization and profit-driven growth across metropolitan areas have led to major housing challenges and injustices. The steeply rising precarity and unaffordability of housing have become central issues harming many residents’ quality of life. Racial equity in housing access is a special concern: systemic barriers continue to restrict opportunities for racialized individuals and families. Displacement due to phenomena such as gentrification and rising costs aggravates these inequities, uprooting communities and perpetuating cycles of poverty and instability.
The Housing Justice Lab is committed to addressing these complex issues through comprehensive research and action-oriented solutions. With a focus on racial equity and anti-displacement strategies, we aim to create inclusive and sustainable urban environments where all residents can thrive. Our work seeks to inform and influence policy by engaging with specialized community actors, ensuring that the growing responsibilities of cities are met with innovative, equitable, and effective approaches to housing justice.
