Who will fix Toronto’s housing crisis?

Plus, here’s how AI software is taking over customer service support [Get This Offer]( [The Star] First Up [By Ashley Okwuosa] By Ashley Okwuosa Good morning. Still undecided about who to vote for in the Toronto election? [Use our tool to see which candidate is right for you](. Here’s the latest. MUST READS Richard Lautens/Toronto Star Real estate [Should Toronto get back to building homes? It’s complicated]( Lack of housing supply and affordability are the chief issues of this month’s mayoral election, with some candidates suggesting the city should get back into the property development business. Sure, in the 1970s and ’80s, tens of thousands of affordable units and co-ops were built when the city took a more active role. But critics say just because it worked then doesn’t mean it will work now, reports Tess Kalinowski. [Here’s why it could create an even more glacial housing approval process](. Chris Young/The Canadian Press Race to city hall [An inside look at whether mayoral rivals will join forces to defeat Olivia Chow in the Toronto election]( With less than two weeks until voting day, the former NDP MP has a commanding lead, according to public opinion polls. That’s led to speculation that some trailing mayoral hopefuls could end their campaigns and urge supporters to rally behind an opponent with a better chance of beating Chow, reports Ben Spurr. So far, the speculation hasn’t led to any results. [Here’s why experts say an anti-Chow coalition is unlikely this late in the game](. Toronto Star illustration BUSINESS [AI software is taking over call centres. Will that make customer service better — or worse?]( Over the next few years, telecoms, insurance providers, banks, utilities and government departments of all kinds are expected to lean heavily on AI technology for customer service and support. Despite the cost-saving benefits of the new technology, some have doubts. If businesses rush in too quickly or implement systems poorly, the call centre experience could become worse, reports Christine Dobby. But experts say it’s not that simple. [Here’s how AI might actually improve customer service](. R.J. Johnston/Toronto Star file photo RACE TO CITY HALL [Here’s what the top candidates would do about the housing crisis — and what the experts say]( The city’s top mayoral contenders have made sweeping promises about addressing Toronto’s housing crisis, from expanding the housing supply to unlocking government-owned lands and hiring new city planners to speed up the housing approval process. But how realistic are they? To find out, Kelly Skjerven asked three experts what they thought of the pledges. [Here’s what they had to say](. Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press opinion [Pierre Poilievre is about to find out if his anti-Trudeau strategy is working]( When voters go to the polls in four federal byelections spread across Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec on Monday, the results will not alter the dynamics in the House of Commons. However, they will provide a measure of whether voters are as angry with the current government as Pierre Poilievre believes they should be, writes Chantal Hébert. [Here’s how the byelection results could offer both parties a reality check](. POV Edward Keenan: A question for Toronto’s next mayor: [is it really worth living in this city anymore]( Mitzie Hunter: From breaking point to turning point, [here’s my plan to revitalize Toronto](. Andrew Phillips: [High voter turnout will give Toronto’s mayor a mandate to deal with the province](. Martin Regg Cohn: Taxing booze, tickets and vehicles: Toronto has the power. [Maybe it’s time the next mayor used it](. Bob Hepburn: [Is Olivia Chow riding the wave of a “perfect storm” to victory in Toronto’s crowded mayoral race]( David Olive: Canada is complicit in driving the growing global consumption of dirty coal — [but we also have the solution](. SUPPORT THIS Clarrie Feinstein/Toronto Star With zero first-hand knowledge of camp, Rosie DiManno dove into the Star’s archives to learn how the Fresh Air Fund has been sending kids to summer camp for over 120 years. Following one of the worst heat waves on record for Toronto at 38 C, Joseph E. Atkinson initiated the program to help kids find respite from the grind and noise of the city. [Here’s how supporting the fund will continue this legacy of goodwill](. Thanks for reading. In case you missed it, [experts weigh in on whether it’s cheaper to cater food instead of buying groceries](. 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