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“Toronto is a growing city with at least 700,000 new Torontonians expected by 2051.” Ensuring sustainable environments for new and current residents “requires a city-wide policy and regulatory environment that is supportive of local businesses and services locating within communities. Despite smallscale retail, service and office uses historically playing an important role in many of Toronto's Neighbourhoods, these types of uses were strictly limited by policies and zoning provisions established in the mid-20th century, many of which remain today. As a result, many of Toronto's current residents have never had these amenities close to their homes, and others have seen them decline over the decades as existing establishments closed, and new ones did not take their place [...] Compact, well-connected Neighbourhoods reduce car dependency and enable people to live carlight or car free, which helps cut carbon pollution. The increased availability of goods nearby to where people live may also contribute to the reduction in online shopping and delivery of goods which generates carbon emissions and packaging waste.”

“Toronto residents across a range of incomes are facing an unaffordable housing market decades in the making, with over 10,000 residents experiencing homelessness, over 100,000 households waiting for a rent-geared-to-income (RGI) home, and low- and middle-income households struggling to afford their homes amidst the rising cost of living in the city.”

This report discusses the “Homelessness Services Capital Infrastructure Strategy (HSCIS)”, which supports the development of “six municipal shelters, containing approximately 420 new shelter beds.” This strategy also proposes the addition of “1,600 new long-term and permanent shelters spaces in the base shelter system” and creating shelters that are “purpose-built,” that are created to provide solutions to many components of the difficulties experienced with shelter systems including “increasing permanency across the shelter system, and a gradual transition out of temporary shelter hotels,” and reducing long-term costs.

The Willowdale home will soon be the home of Toronto's first city-run Indigenous shelter for women and children. The creation of this shelter is an important step towards reconciliation. In order to make sure Indigenous voices are at the center of planning, the recommendations were created by working closely with the Native Women's Resource Center of Toronto.

“Toronto's housing affordability crisis is impacting residents across the housing continuum, from low-income, marginalized residents in need of a deeply affordable, rent-geared-to-income home to middle income earners, key workers, and families trying to afford to live in the city. Toronto’s housing crisis and lack of sufficient rental housing has been decades in the making and requires concerted tri-government action to correct. Despite a rise in the purpose-built rental vacancy rate in 2024 to 2.3%, Toronto’s rental housing market remains unaffordable to many. New tenants looking for a rental home continue to face high asking rents, increasing 15% from 2023 to 2024. In 2024, asking rent for a vacant two-bedroom unit was $2,744 a month, putting this home out of reach for the median two-person renter households earning approximately $87,900. In Toronto, about 48% of households (557,970 households) are renters with 40% of them living in unaffordable housing.”

Academic institutions play an important role in climate research and it is crucial for students from around the world to be part the academic research environment in Toronto. International students also help bring a global perspective and new solutions to addressing the climate crisis. For context, “Toronto’s post-secondary institutions are leading contributors to the City’s economy and important sources of job creation, skills training, and research and innovation, [including research on climate]...In Toronto, it is estimated that over 350,000 students are enrolled in public academic institutions. In recent years, an increasing number of post-secondary students have been struggling to meet their basic needs for housing, food, and other life necessities…As a result, more post-secondary students are relying on food banks and homelessness services; they are more likely to experience precarious housing situations and live in over-crowded homes; and are increasingly more vulnerable to housing scams and fraud.” In addition, one of the guiding principles of Academic Housing Strategy released is to that “Housing should be sustainable, financially, environmentally, and socially”.

“In Fall 2024, City Council advanced the new Purpose-Built Rental Housing Incentives program, an important new initiative to unlock new rental supply and affordable rental housing. This program provides eligible projects with relief on property taxes and development charges to bring down the cost of building, and help new rental and affordable units break ground at a time when many are stalled due to economic conditions.”

Ensuring that all types of housing along the housing spectrum are available, especially affordable and supportive housing, is crucial as the impacts of the climate crisis worsen. People experiencing homelessness are at a higher risk of getting heat stroke in the summer and worsening air quality from forest fires coming in from the north. These climate events can negatively impact the physical and mental health impacts of Torontonians, particularly people experiencing homelessness. For this reason, we need affordable and supportive housing now. In recent years “the City of Toronto has taken an increased role in the creation of new supportive and rent-geared-to-income (RGI) homes for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, particularly since the adoption of the HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan (HousingTO Plan) and as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite increased action and investments, Toronto’s housing and homelessness crises have worsened. Deeply affordable rental housing is at risk of being lost, and difficult and volatile economic conditions have made the construction of new housing, particularly RGI, supportive, rental homes, more challenging. The shortage of supportive homes, inadequacy of social assistance rates, and need for greater mental health and social supports is illustrated most starkly by the rising number of encampments in Toronto.”

“Toronto is facing two housing crises – one where there is a lack of deeply affordable and supportive homes for low-income, marginalized, and vulnerable residents, as well as those experiencing homelessness; and a more recent one in which rising rents have made it increasingly unaffordable for middle income earners, key workers and professionals to live in the city…An adequate supply of purpose-built rental homes is central to a well-functioning housing system that can meet the housing needs of current and future residents.”

“The 777 Victoria Park site will include a range of rental homes, retail and community space at grade and a new purpose-built childcare facility. Importantly the land will remain in public ownership in perpetuity…[This includes] 256 new affordable rental homes (rents at average of 80% City of Toronto’s average market rent) [and] 449 new rent-controlled market homes (with annual rent increases limited at Provincial guideline+2%).” Toronto needs more affordable housing as the impacts of the climate crisis worsen.

10,795 individuals in Toronto are actively experiencing homelessness at the end of May, 2024. As the effects of extreme heat and the elements exacerbate risks for unhoused communities, Toronto has considered it imperative to supply more affordable housing amidst its housing crisis. In particular, the Housing Secretariat emphasizes the importance of addressing not just housing overall, but particular plans to create housing for low-income and vulnerable communities.

“Demand for shelter services has increased significantly over the past few years and is projected to continue throughout 2024 [...] Many people remain unable to access shelter beds each night. In 2023, there were, on average, 202 callers per day not matched to a shelter space. Data show these averages have almost doubled since 2022; this figure continues to trend upward.” Worsening effects of climate change have already manifested themselves in Toronto through extreme weather events including heat waves and extreme cold, leaving unhoused people particularly vulnerable. 

As extreme weather becomes increasingly common, maintaining adequate and affordable housing is crucial to guarantee people's health and safety. “[T]here are currently over 200 Community Housing Providers in Toronto that operate over 40,000 subsidized Rent-Geared-To-Income (RGI) and affordable homes. About 75% of this stock was built prior to 1987 utilizing federal and provincial funding programs. Action from all orders of government is urgently needed to preserve and modernize these aging homes.”

Multi-tenant housing, also known as rooming housing, is an essential part of the city as it provides housing for students, seniors, and people leaving homelessness. The City of Toronto wants to protect these homes and improve the living conditions of its tenants. Currently, many of these multi-tenant housing buildings need upgrades and repairs to meet building, fire, and zoning rules. Without assistance, these buildings are at risk of shutting down. The city will set aside $2 million to help fund the Multi-Tenant Houses Renovation Program, where building owners who accept these funds must keep rent affordable and continue to operate as licensed rooming houses for at least 15 years.

“[T]he need for emergency shelter is significantly greater than the current capacity of the system. This is due to insufficient affordable housing supply, increased costs of living, inadequate wage and income supports, and an increase in the number of refugee claimants arriving in Toronto.” Worsening effects of climate change have already manifested themselves in Toronto through extreme weather events including heat waves and extreme cold, leaving unhoused people particularly vulnerable. “Nearly half (48%) of the shelter system spaces are held on sites with agreements and leases that end by December 2024. [...] Most of these contractual agreements are expiring, and the cost of leasing temporary sites has risen significantly due to inflation and other factors [...] The City developed the 2024-2029 Homelessness Services Capital Infrastructure Strategy (HSCIS) to proactively inform capital spending decisions to promote recovery and stability in the City's shelter system.”

The city of Toronto is in desperate need of expanding shelter services for refugees. Shelter systems in Toronto, including the designated system for refugees, are at capacity and “over 300 people are turned away” every night which includes “upwards of 100 refugees and refugee claimants are waiting and sleeping outside the Streets to Homes Assessment and Referral Centre.” In collaboration with funding from both provincial and federal governments, Mayor Olivia Chow, Deputy Mayor McKelvie, and other staff have worked to develop a “long-term, sustainable plan to make sure people have dignified shelter and housing.” The city vows to continue investing in the “Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit” to “open up more spaces in the shelter system as more people are securely housed.” This also involves a match by the provincial government to support the creation of “approximately 1,350 households.” Current costs “to shelter and support the existing 3,100 refugees in the shelter system” are around $157 million, so the city is still requesting additional funding from the federal government and for assistance with the creation of “a refugee reception area” 

The purpose of this report is to recommend that City Council request the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to make two Minister's Zoning Orders in order to permit the creation of supportive affordable housing in existing buildings at 222 Spadina Avenue and 877 Yonge Street. 

This document discusses the recommendation of recruiting individuals "for the Board of Directors for the seniors housing corporation." This “corporation will operate affordable rental and social housing for approximately 14,000 low and moderate-income senior households in 83 senior-designated buildings. These housing units are currently operated by the Seniors Housing Unit of Toronto Community Housing Corporation.” 

As a part of an initiative by the Government of Canada to “create new affordable rental housing in response to the urgent housing needs of vulnerable and marginalized individuals” including modular housing, the contribution made by the city of Toronto to the “The Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI)” must “create a minimum of 417 units of new
permanent affordable housing” which will be accomplished through $203,265,729 in funding from the “Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).”
 

To support reducing difficulties regarding homelessness and housing, “the HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan” was adopted with a plan to “to help over 340,000 households through the approval of over 40,000 new affordable rental homes, including 18,000 supportive housing units over the next 10 years” and “increase housing stability for Toronto residents.” This policy also involves generating a “a six-month action plan to address the urgent issue of homelessness in the City” completed through the formation of two working groups of staff: Intergovernmental (in collaboration with provincial and federal governments) and Inter-divisional (collaborating with additional stakeholders). The Action Plan also involves assisting to “support a 24-month plan for the delivery of 3,000 affordable and supportive homes as part of recovery planning.”

Based on a 2019 motion “Expanding Housing Options in Toronto - Tackling the Missing Middle and the Yellowbelt,” City Planning was directed by City Council “to report on options and a timeline to increase housing options and planning permissions in areas of Toronto designated as Neighbourhoods.” “The term “missing middle” refers to housing types ranging from duplexes to low-rise walk-up apartments, all of which can be found in many parts of Toronto today, but which are also limited in where they can be newly built.”

This Bill was established by the provincial government in March 2020 which amends various Acts (e.g., Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, Building Code Act, 1992, etc.). This document discusses the connection between this policy and “the HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan” and how housing is a human right. The proposed alterations made to this policy have been acknowledged by the city to “have the potential to impact peoples' access to adequate, safe, secure and affordable housing and as such the recommendations in the City's submission reflect the need to balance affordability and tenant access to the justice system.” In addition, “Bill 184 introduces amendments that would see tenants receive increased compensation for illegitimate activity or for no-fault evictions.”

The “Housing Now Initiative” involves the approval of affordable housing developments “to increase the supply of permanent affordable housing for low-and moderate income residents” which will support targets made in “the HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan.” Around “10,750 new residential units with approximately 7,800 being purpose-built rental housing, including almost 3,900 affordable rental units” will be built as a part of “Phase One” of this initiative. “Phase Two Sites” includes about “1,455 and 1,710 new residential units to the program, including approximately 1,060 to 1,240 purpose-built rental units with approximately 530 to 620 being affordable rental units.” 

As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic contributing to higher levels of homelessness and other housing issues that occurred even before the pandemic, city council urged the creation of a report to “increase the supply of affordable housing” which includes recommending “Council approve the purchase and installation of 110 modular units to be used as supportive housing for homeless individuals within the City's shelter system by September 2020 and another 140 units in 2021.” In order to fund building these homes, “$28.75 million in City funding and about $12.76 million in Open Door program incentives” has been requested for approval.

“Toronto Community Housing Corporation undertakes revitalization projects in communities across Toronto. Revitalization projects aim to address issues relating to long-term maintenance costs associated with aging housing stock, generate funding to renovate and replace social housing stock, and provide opportunities for community development and investment through improved design, additional facilities and services, and community economic development initiatives.” The Service Manager (i.e., sole shareholder of the corporation involved) sees an opportunity for the creation of a “transparent framework for approvals and consents to better align revitalization projects with the objectives of the upcoming Toronto Housing Strategy 2020 – 2030.”