Tackling Toronto’s housing affordability crisis is a key priority. There are new affordable housing projects in the works in Toronto-Danforth at the Riverdale Co-op, Danforth Church at Bowden Street and Don Summerville Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) site. The latter is part of an initiative to make sure TCHC revitalization projects not only replace the existing homes, but also build new affordable housing. You can read the latest report on the Don Summerville revitalization project online.

The city’s Housing Now initiative is a plan to build 7,400 purpose built rental units in Phase 1, half of which are to be rented at below market rates. These will be part of mixed-income, mixed-use, transit-oriented neighbourhoods on 11 city-owned properties. We’re also developing a tool called Inclusionary Zoning that requires developers to build affordable housing units as part of development projects. These are key components of the city’s overall Housing 2020-2030 Action Plan.

The Planning and Housing Committee also created the Subcommittee on the Protection of Affordable Rental Housing in 2019, which I chaired.

It was mandated to fight illegitimate renovictions. These profit-driven evictions are reducing our already limited supply of affordable housing and impacting many tenants across the city.

Learn more about my work to tackle renovictions and protect tenants.

Useful tenant resources and info can be found here.

New Ward 14 affordable housing for seniors and EarlyON Child and Family Centre officially opened

“Parents can now bring their children to this beautiful new centre and seniors who may have lived in this neighbourhood their entire lives can continue living here, but in a home that’s affordable and with services that support their health and well-being. This is truly a win-win for this wonderful community.” – Councillor Paula Fletcher

Council unanimously approves creating 971 new affordable rental homes through the City's Open Door Program

Today, Toronto City Council unanimously approved creating 971 new affordable rental homes in 15 developments through the Open Door Program.

With today's endorsement by Council, a total of 11,143 affordable rental homes have now been approved through the City of Toronto's Open Door Program (ODP). This program is designed to accelerate affordable housing construction by providing a range of incentives from the City, which could include an exemption of fees, charges or property tax; capital funding; the fast-tracking of planning approvals; and activating surplus public land. Approved projects must begin construction within three years of the date of approval in order to maintain access to the capital grant and/or incentives. 

971 new affordable homes to be created through the City of Toronto’s 2020 call for Open Door affordable housing program applications

The City of Toronto has released the results of its Open Door 2020 call for applications, which will create 971 new affordable homes.

A City report going to the Planning and Housing Committee next week outlines staff recommendations, which include 15 developments, representing a total of 971 new affordable homes, for approval by City Council. Eleven of the 15 affordable housing developments are proposed by non-profit housing providers, and of these, three are by Indigenous groups. Terms of the program require the homes to be affordable for a minimum period of 40 years, and in many cases the recommended applications will be affordable in perpetuity.

City of Toronto announces the next two affordable supportive housing sites as part of Phase Two of its Modular Housing Initiative

Today, Mayor John Tory announced the details of the second phase of the City of Toronto's Modular Housing Initiative (MHI). The two sites announced today will create approximately 128 modular homes, 64 at each of the City-owned sites, which are located at 175 Cummer Ave., next to Willowdale Manor, and on the corner lot at Trenton Ave. and Cedarvale Ave. The new modular homes will provide stable, affordable housing and support services to individuals experiencing homelessness.

City of Toronto continues to take extraordinary steps to help and protect people experiencing homelessness during COVID-19

Since the start of the pandemic, the City of Toronto has moved at unprecedented speed to adjust its services for those experiencing homelessness by creating 2,300 spaces in new temporary shelter and hotel programs for physical distancing.

So far in 2020, the City has also referred more than 2,500 people experiencing homelessness into permanent housing through a combination of housing allowances and rent-geared-to-income units, representing a 50 per cent increase over the same period last year.

City of Toronto recommends a tax on vacant homes in Toronto

Today, Mayor John Tory announced a City of Toronto staff report will be going to Executive Committee next week recommending a tax levy on vacant Toronto homes starting in 2022.

A vacant home tax increases the housing supply by encouraging homeowners to sell or rent their unoccupied home, and if they choose to continue to keep the home vacant, a tax is levied. This revenue can then be used to fund affordable housing projects.

City Council moves to rapidly build new affordable and supportive homes for Toronto’s most vulnerable with $203 million federal investment

Following this week's announcement from the Government of Canada that the City of Toronto will receive $203.3 million through the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI), today City Council approved Mayor John Tory's motion directing staff to take the next steps to plan and implement the work needed to move forward.

The RHI is delivering $1 billion in grant funding nationally to rapidly create new affordable rental housing in response to the urgent housing needs of vulnerable and marginalized individuals. Specifically, the RHI aims to support: women and children fleeing domestic violence, seniors, young adults, Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, people dealing with mental health and addiction issues, veterans, LGBTQ2+, racialized groups, Black Canadians, recent immigrants or refugees, and homeless people or those at risk of homelessness.

City of Toronto marks milestone in delivery of first modular, supportive housing

Mayor John Tory was joined today by the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development; Deputy Mayor Ana Bailão (Ward 9 Davenport) and Councillor Gary Crawford (Ward 20 Scarborough Southwest) to mark a key milestone in the delivery of the City’s first modular housing building. At the 11 Macey Ave. site, the modular homes are being installed this week by crane, bringing the project a significant step closer to occupancy, which is anticipated to take place next month.

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