Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Leilani Farha
Leilani Farha, a U of T alumna and former United Nations special rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, says universities and their researchers will be play a vital role in the COVID-19 recovery process (photo by Eric Piermont/AFP via Getty Images)

Canadian cities are facing a complex recovery in the wake of COVID-19 – and academic institutions like the University of Toronto will be a vital part of that process.

That’s according to a leading expert on housing who recently participated in a unique initiative developed by U of T’s School of Cities called “Coronavirus and the City: One Question.”

“Conversation is key, understanding the beast and engaging diverse thinkers in this conversation is super important,” said Leilani Farha (LLB/MSW 1995), a U of T alumna who is global director of The Shift, an international movement seeking worldwide recognition of housing as a human right, and a former United Nations special rapporteur on the right to adequate housing. “Universities play a huge role in crafting a body of evidence and knowledge base.”

Read the full story at U of T News