John Tory hears Toronto Community Housing complaints at meeting

Toronto Mayor John Tory heard plenty of concerns about the city's community housing program on Monday night — and that was just what he wanted.

Tory attended the first of four public meetings held to discuss the future of Toronto Community Housing Corp. (TCHC) buildings across the city, which will need more than $7 billion worth of repairs in the coming decades according to a recent report.

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"We're not going to come up with realistic and thorough recommendations if we don't listen to the people who live in the housing," Tory said at the meeting.

He heard plenty of complaints from residents about flooding, pest problems and general disrepair at TCHC properties. Many also expressed skepticism about how far Tory and the city will actually go to fix the problem.

Tory's first step has been to appoint Senator Art Eggleton, a former Toronto mayor, to lead a six-person task force that will study the issues facing TCHC.

Eggleton's task force is set to submit a report to the mayor later this year.

Tory also suggested he'll seek financial relief from other governments, beginning with the province.

For more on last night's meeting, check out Greg Ross's report in the video above.