Why some GTA homeowners are selling at a loss

Plus, federal electoral boundaries being redrawn and a harm-reduction vending machine  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

First Up   By Manuela Vega   Good morning. Sewage repairs are causing TTC service changes in the west end. Here’s what you need to know. Plus, the latest on GTA housing prices, Scarborough residents fighting a redrawing of electoral boundaries and a national harm-reduction program.       DON’T MISS Lance McMillan/The Star   real estate Houses selling for a loss?! The once unthinkable is on the rise in Toronto In Toronto and, even moreso, throughout the rest of the GTA, more and more people are losing money selling their homes, data from the property website HouseSigma suggests. The sellers are likely those who bought a property sometime between 2020 and the beginning of 2022 when house prices soared to their peak, HouseSigma’s director of business development Michael Carney says. But when so many other homeowners are waiting on the sidelines for prices to rise again, why are others apparently rushing to off-load? May Warren reports on several factors that may be pushing owners to sell at a loss. By the numbers: From October to December 2021, there were only 51 properties sold at a loss in the GTA, 0.21 per cent of total sold properties. During the same period in 2022, although overall listings were down dramatically, there were 224 properties sold below bought in the GTA, increasing to 1.80 per cent. David Olive’s take: Why Canada’s housing market is stronger than it looks — and a recovery is not far off.   Giovanni Capriotti for The Star   gta They cut a slice off Scarborough and gave it to North York, but Scarborough is fighting back. Will it be enough? Every 10 years, Elections Canada looks at how the population has shifted to ensure representation is effective and fair. This time around, the appointed Ontario commission has proposed annexing the northwestern borderlands of Scarborough into two North York ridings in a redrawing of the federal electoral map. But the plan isn’t going over well with Scarborough residents, Katie Daubs reports. Take a look at the graphics showing how the federal borders would change. Wait, what? “The reality is that the residents of North York do not understand, do not care about, and cannot be expected to vote in Scarborough’s best interest,” resident Julia D’Silva wrote in a letter to the electoral boundary commission for Ontario. Go deeper: NGOs have expressed concern over their funding and ability to serve vulnerable residents, while many others feel the decision doesn’t capture the reality of the city’s most diverse neighbourhoods. Watch for: A public consultation this fall put Scarborough pride on full display. Mayor John Tory, Scarborough Health Network, Centennial College, Bridlewood Mall and  residents have all written to the commission urging them to reconsider. The commission’s final report is expected in February.   Eduardo Lima/Unity Health Toronto   health Machines that dispense HIV testing kits, clean needles and Naloxone launch in Canada  As the country continues to grapple with HIV and a toxic drug crisis, a program is aiming to bring harm-reduction supplies to the people who need it the most. New Our Healthbox machines have been installed in Atlantic Canada, with plans for 100 installed across the country in the next three years. They provide free HIV and COVID-19 self-testing kits, clean needles, Naloxone, crack kits with safe smoking paraphernalia and condoms, plus feminine hygiene products, socks and mitts. Kelly Skjerven reports on how the federally-funded program was born and how it aims to respond to communities’ needs. By the numbers: Ten per cent of people in Canada with HIV don’t know it, said Sean Rourke, a scientist with MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions. “That’s about 7,000 people. Those people aren’t benefiting from treatment.” More numbers: According to the federal government, there were about 20 apparent opioid toxicity deaths a day between January and June 2022, compared to 12 a day in 2018.       WHAT ELSE   Ottawa signed a $2.8-billion settlement with first nations who attended residential school as day scholars. Here’s what you need to know.   Enbridge customers say they are being charged for Enercare services they didn’t ask for. The Star contacted both companies to find out what’s going on. The new chair of telecom regulator CRTC is taking aim at Canada’s high internet prices.   Can one of these four Liberals resurrect the party and topple Doug Ford? The Bank of Canada does not need to raise interest rates. This is why.   Incoming — Toronto is expected to get some snow starting Wednesday. Closing the Harbourfront skating rink raises the question: who is Toronto for?   A TTC bus operator was shot with a BB gun in Toronto’s east end. Jacinda Ardern’s resignation is a terrible loss for women, and another win for toxic masculinity.   In a rare moment, Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre find themselves wanting the same thing. Piper makes a good buck as a lawyer but still has piles of school debt. Is her dream of owning a downtown Toronto condo realistic?   From the “millennial pause” to the boomerang — here’s why Gen Z finds these social media habits so cringey.       POV Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images Justin Trudeau is clearly pleased that Joe Biden’s finally visiting Ottawa. Here’s what he disclosed in an interview with the Star.       CLOSE-UP Jae C. Hong/AP Photo   CALIFORNIA: Police officers stand outside a ballroom dance club in Monterey Park on Sunday. A mass shooting took place at a dance club following a Lunar New Year celebration in the city, which comprises mostly Asian immigrants or first-generation Asian Americans. Here’s what we know so far.     Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at firstup@thestar.ca. I’ll see you back here tomorrow.     If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below.   Unsubscribe From This Newsletter Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts View in Browser Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON M5E 1E6. 416-367-2000 PRIVACY POLICY