Habiba Desai

The Mayor and City Council

The most important thing I would act on as Mayor is making Toronto more affordable and accessible, with Free TTC as a central priority. My management-consulting and international-development experience has taught me to bring different institutions and stakeholders together, negotiate across levels of government, and turn broad objectives into practical projects with clear responsibilities and measurable results. As Mayor, Free TTC start November 2026.

Housing

For one regular adult TTC rider, eliminating transit fares could mean approximately $7,000 in savings over four years. For a household with two adults, that could mean approximately $14,000 staying in the household instead. That money could help a family build toward a down payment for home ownership, or help cover first and last month’s rent and other moving costs when securing a new home. Free TTC would not solve the housing shortage by itself, so I would also

Cost of Living

My priority would be Free TTC. Transit is a basic part of daily life for millions of Torontonians. Toronto’s 2026 budget already introduced fare capping after 47 paid trips, recognizing that transit costs are an affordability issue. I would take the next step: make the TTC free. I would work with City Council, the Province and federal government on a sustainable funding model that protects TTC service, reliability and accessibility. Free TTC is an affordability policy.

Safety in Public Spaces

1. Mental-Health Response on the TTC Expand trained mental-health crisis teams across the TTC and shift appropriate non-emergency mental-health calls away from enforcement-only responses. Police and emergency services would remain available when there is violence or an immediate threat to safety. 2. 1,000-Weapon Community Surrender Program I would establish a voluntary program with a target of 1,000 weapons surrendered, combined with positive rewards like VIP event tickets.

Getting Around the City

My transportation priority is Free TTC. If we want people to move around Toronto without having to own a car, transit needs to be affordable, reliable and accessible. Free TTC would remove the fare barrier while encouraging people to use the existing transit network to reach work, school, healthcare, shopping, recreation and community activities.

Confronting Hateful and Hostile Behaviour

I would pair Free TTC with community partnerships, education, rapid reporting and appropriate responses to hate and harassment. Transit connects people to one another. Making it accessible can help ensure that newcomers, youth, seniors and families can participate in the civic and cultural life of Toronto. My approach is love over hate: protect people from harassment and violence while making it easier for everyone to participate in the life of our city.