Toronto's department of public housing is coming under fire after allegations that officials are taking bribes from desperate residents anxious to jump long waiting lines for affordable housing.
The Toronto Community Housing Corp. has launched an internal investigation and has alerted Toronto police to the allegations, The Globe and Mail reports.
The alleged bribes first surfaced because of a complaint by tenant Abderra Boukhalfa, 52.
Boukhalfa, who lives near Jane Street and St. Clair Avenue West, complained about waiting more than a decade for a two-bedroom subsidized apartment while other prospective tenants jumped the queue.
He claimed that other tenants said housing officials were paid $3,000 to $6,000 to process affordable housing applications faster.
Councillor Frances Nunziata (Ward 11, York South-Weston) said she was informed of the complaint earlier this year. She told The Globe it appears the housing committee was trying to keep the probe quiet.
"I originally spoke to the tenant in March, which was a complaint that he wanted to be transferred to a bigger unit and he was told -- he had been waiting since 1996 -- that there was a huge waiting list," Nunziata told CTV News on Wednesday.
The community housing agency says it is taking the accusations seriously and is investigating, but declined to comment further.
The city's department of public housing has more than 164,000 tenants in more than 350 buildings across Toronto.
There are approximately 75,000 people on waiting lists for affordable housing in the city.
With a report from CTV's Roger Petersen
