The nebulous encroachment of gentrification is a hot topic in most urban areas, especially when a once run-down street corner hosts a trendy hair salon, or the long-standing demographics of a neighborhood seemingly change overnight. More broadly, concern about the ever increasing costs of housing is one of the most prevalent global conversations of our times. Despite the recognition of this pressing issue, large-scale collective actions have struggled to organize and effectively realize any significant action. 

1. What stands in the way

One of the most obvious barriers in the way of collective organization regarding changes to housing and land systems is a lack of accessible information. It is hard to envision how to collectively tackle oppressive land and housing practices when the opponent is a vague entity with no clear central system; a haunting presence which is sensed but not seen.

The average renter likely knows the name of their landlord, and perhaps the fact that they own other properties. They often won’t know much more. They probably don’t know what other properties this individual or company owns, who their landlord is indebted to (if they have outstanding mortgages), and what other connections or relationships they have within the renter’s community. They do not know the other people living in their building, or in the buildings of the other properties owned by the entity. This results with most renters feeling isolated and secluded in their personal struggle for safe and affordable housing.‍

2. We are connected by our debt

In the case of property ownership, home-owners and landlords alike do not know about each other’s debts, and have no easy way of identifying large corporations or banks which they are collectively indebted to. In the midst of a global catastrophe such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic fallout which will follow, solidarity between  tenants, landlords and homeowners is now seemingly more impossible than ever. This lack of collective knowledge creates a situation in which a widespread desire to resist debt collection in the context of a financial crisis lacks identified targets to organize in response to.

This lack of accessible information also leads to misdirected protest, in the case where renters begin to organize against all landlords indiscriminately, despite the broad range of existing types. Some landlords are just as beholden to their bank as their tenants are to them. In such cases, both share a collective interest in resisting the debt collections of the bank. Sometimes the building might even be owned by a bank, and these tenants would also share the same interests of resistance. For example, tenants who live in various buildings owned by a large entity such as the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS), currently have no way to identify each other or discuss what common issues they  experience, simply for lack of knowledge.

3. A Way to See Clearly

All of these identifiable issues highlight the need for a publicly accessible and searchable visualization of land ownership, property and debt. Using the city of Montréal as an example, here is an outline for the creation of an interactive, open-source map and some of the procedures required to make it a reality.

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One of the first requirements in creating a map of this type will be to start small. As journalist Henry Aubin demonstrated in the documentary “Cities Held Hostage” (2017) the question of property and land ownership is a Pandora’s box, and can quickly become overwhelming in scope. It would be most helpful to start near the “bottom layer” of ownership, and gradually build up more layers and allow for tools that visually show clusters of ownership and connections between different “layers”. The first task would be to identify a specific area of Montreal to focus on. The Saint-Henri borough, for example, could be of immediate interest to this project due its current rapid development; Hochelaga is also a neighbourhood with an important history of property activism and resistance. The second requirement would be to build a database of the names under which every property and piece of land in that area is registered.

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This highlights another issue which would need to be overcome, that is the cost of obtaining this information. In Quebec, property ownership is considered public information, accessible through the Registre foncier du Québec. Yet it is prohibitively expensive to access in large amounts (due to each record costing $1 to access). This paywall would require a creative work-around or special permissions from the provincial government. A worthwhile endeavor would be to organize a proposal demanding that this information be released from their paywall and thus truly be made public. Other viable options include proposing for bulk-discount purchases for this information, or organizing systems to distribute costs, such as a network of contributing participants. Strategic tactics such as these would help to gain access to these records.

4. What to do with all this data?

 Once a database of information had been amassed, work could begin on visualizing this information into an accessible and visually appealing interactive format. The map could function as a google maps overlay, such as the Heatmap of UK property values. Progressively, other areas in Montreal could be added as well as new, more complex layers of information.  

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5. A resource that could change the way we live

This resource would allow both the average person and pre-existing property activists to better understand patterns and collective opportunities for resistance. It could facilitate more cohesive solidarity movements opposing rising housing prices, collectivise individual disputes between tenants and landlords (and in turn between landlords and homeowners and  their creditors). Moreover, it could create visible mutual interests amongst smaller landlords, home-owners and renters against large creditors, such as banks. It would be helpful in connecting existing activist organizations to a large number of people, demonstrating their role within a larger system and providing clarity as to where their collective efforts would be most effective. This would turn the tables on the systems of power against which we seek to resist. Giving such tools to the masses would significantly and strategically build a roadmap out of our broken housing system. Yet, as demonstrated, many roadblocks stand in the way of such a resource. Nonetheless, accessible information on property ownership and connected debts can greatly aid local movements resisting oppressive systems, especially if such a resource spreads to more and more locales.