In that time of morning that seems like the dead of night, I quietly get dressed. My six-year-old stirs and I ask her to climb onto my back like a tiny monkey. I leave my apartment unit and carry her downstairs to another unit where my neighbour is waiting. It’s so early and I’m so tired and my day has just begun. Who was this system designed for, and who is it working for?

People like me and my family members who work in the construction and restaurant industries are canaries in the coal mine of the economy. New condo starts have been down for some time, which is an early indicator of a real estate slump—but rents remain high. Recession is here already, for some folks. Like me. What are we going to do about it?

I shouldn’t have to live in substandard housing while building and repairing homes for others. Everyone deserves housing and a decent quality of life, but there is a major paradox when the people who build the housing don’t make enough to live in it. The irony of being a construction worker in a housing crisis is not lost on me or my co-workers.