housing opportunities toronto

HousingOpportunitiesToronto

An Affordable Housing Action Plan2010 - 2020


Adopted by Toronto City Council August 5, 2009.

1An Affordable Housing Action Plan 2010 - 2020

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

The Power of Affordable Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Creating Housing Opportunitiesin All Neighbourhoods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Toronto Housing Charter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Help Homeless and Vulnerable PeopleFind and Keep Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Assist Families and Individualsto Afford Rents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Preserve and Repair Rental Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Revitalize Neighbourhoods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Create New Affordable Rental Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Help People to Buy and Stay in Their Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Working Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Appendix A: Consolidated Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Appendix B: Preliminary Cost Estimates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Appendix C: Consultations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Appendix D: Toronto CommunityHousing Revitalization Communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Table of Contents

There is a long history in Canada of governments,groups and individuals working together toprovide affordable housing. Filling that need

continues to be an important part of building asuccessful country.We know that affordable housingmakes a powerful, positive contribution to the economy,to a better environment, to healthier communities andhealthier people.

Toronto is a major driver of Canada’s economy, andaffordable housing is a key factor in the City’s economicsuccess. It helps to create jobs and to attract and retainskilled key workers and business investment.

It also contributes to a cleaner and greener city becausepeople can live closer to where they work, resulting infewer vehicle trips and the associated pollution.As well,investing in upgraded heating and cooling systems, oneof the main sources of greenhouse gases,means cleanerair and lower operating costs for residential buildings.

Affordable housing is an important factor in creatinghealthy, diverse and prosperous neighbourhoods.Neighbourhoods where people with a mix of incomeslive in a range of housing tenures and types are safe andhealthy places to live. Strong and diverse communitiesenhance the quality of life for both owners and rentersand improve liveability,which is strongly linked to acity’s prosperity.

Affordable housing is also an investment in healthpromotion and illness prevention,which can reducehealth care costs.Having safe and stable housing giveschildren the opportunity to learn and succeed.Providing people who are homeless with permanenthousing and support significantly improves their mentaland physical health, and reduces their use of costlyemergency services. It is clear that investing in housingresults in savings in the health, education, criminaljustice and social service systems.

4Housing Opportunities Toronto

Introduction

“Your immediateproblem is not so muchthe right of the soul to

expand, but the necessityfor everybody to have adecent dwelling; not to

make all homes mansions,but to ensure that none ofthem will be hovels. It isonly a very rare soul thatcan expand in a hovel.This objective of decenthousing simply has to be

achieved in ourdemocratic society.”

The Rt. Hon. Lester B. Pearson,Prime Minister of CanadaSpeech to the Ontario Associationof Housing Authorities, 1965

However,more than 640,000 people inToronto – including students, seniors,youngcouples,people with disabilities,Aboriginalpeoples, low-income workers and theirfamilies,new Canadians and people who areunemployed — need some form of assistanceto meet their housing needs.

Some 200,000 tenanthouseholds live inhousing they cannotafford, spending 30 percent or more of theirincome on shelter,withlittle left to cover otherbasic needs such as food,clothing,medicine andchildcare.

Meanwhile, a troubling trend hasemerged inToronto over the past 30 years.Rising poverty and a growing gap betweenrich and poor has led to a city more dividedthan ever before along income and socio-economic lines.Many neighbourhoods haveseen significant amounts of new housingbuilt but 95 per cent of that is for theownership market.

Other neighbourhoods where there is highneed and minimal physical and socialinfrastructure have been identified forrevitalization.Affordable housing is a keycomponent of this strategy to create mixedincome neighbourhoods and reverse thetrend of income polarization.

Toronto also faces a dynamic decade duringwhich population shifts and economicchange will challenge the City’s ability toprovide housing opportunity for all.

Over the next decade,Toronto is expectedto grow by a net total of 130,000 people,

reaching a population of 2.8 million by2020. However, this is only a small part ofwhat will drive housing demand.

Toronto will be the first stop for anestimated one million immigrants fromevery corner of the world. At the same time,

thousands ofCanadians willmigrate here fromacross Canada.Asmany as 100,000young people willenter theTorontohousing market forthe first time whichwill further fueldemand for rentalhousing.At the other

end of the spectrum, some 80,000 residentswill enter their senior years.

These significant shifts in the city’spopulation will be accompanied by themovement of residents, particularly families,out ofToronto into the surrounding regionand beyond.

Considered together, this will place a strongdemand onToronto’s full range of housingopportunities in both the ownership andrental sectors. While many residents will beable to compete in the private market manyothers will need strong public policies andprograms to meet their housing needs.That’s what this 10-year Action Plan isdesigned to do.

A snapshot ofToronto at the start of thenext decade shows a city with a set ofchallenges ahead in housing its residents,maintaining its aging housing, creating newhomes and rebuilding entireneighbourhoods.


Toronto also faces a dynamicdecade during which

population shifts and economicchange will challenge the City’s

ability to provide housingopportunity for all.

How isToronto responding to thesechallenges?

Public consultations held throughout 2008,involving more than 1,800 individuals andorganizations, confirmed the strategicapproach proposed in the HousingOpportunitiesToronto frameworkdocument released in November, 2007.

The direction we received from the public,advocates and experts was clear - the Citymust be bold, be innovative, and above allelse, be a leader.

In response, the HousingOpportunities TorontoAction Plan 2010-2020 setstargets that are responsiveto the needs ofTorontonians. It calls for$484 million in annualinvestments over the next10 years to assist 257,700households struggling withhigh housing costs orinadequate accommodation.

Fundamentally,HOT is a roadmap to steerthe work and investment decisions of theCity ofToronto in partnership with federaland provincial governments, as well as thepublic and private housing sectors over thenext decade.

To this end,HOT proposes 67 actionswithin the following eight strategic themes:

1)Create housing opportunities in allneighbourhoods

2)Help homeless and vulnerable peoplefind and keep homes

3)Assist individuals and families to affordrents

4)Preserve and repair rental housing

5)Revitalize neighbourhoods

6)Create new affordable rental homes

7)Help people to buy and stay in theirhomes

8)Working together

The Plan is aligned with, andcomplementary to, other key Cityinitiatives, including the Official Plan,TransitCity, and the Change is in the Air climate

change strategy. It buildson and supports severalother long-term goals,such as therevitalization plans ofToronto CommunityHousing Corporation aswell as WaterfrontToronto,Mayor’sTowerRenewal and Making aSafe City Safer.The Plansupports the ProsperityAgenda’s goal to

positionToronto as a leading 21st centuryglobal city by encouraging businessinvestment, stimulating the economy,attracting key workers and creatingopportunity and liveability for all residents.

It also supports the Province’s povertyreduction strategy and will provide input tothe long-term provincial housing strategy.

The HOT Action Plan 2010-2020 includes:

• A Toronto Housing Charter which statesthat all residents should be able to live intheir neighbourhood of choice withoutdiscrimination.

• A Housing First plan to end homelessness.


We begin with a goal –the goal of providinghousing opportunities

for all – in a city that has,for more than 175 years,strived to welcome andhouse residents in all

their diversity.

•A commitment to repair and revitalizeToronto Community Housing and othernon-profit and co-operative housing units.

• Creation of 1,000 new affordable rentalhomes annually.

• Innovative regulatory changes that willextend financial incentives to encouragemore affordable rental homes mixed withinmarket housing developments, as well as toincrease homeownership opportunities.

We begin with a goal – the goal of providinghousing opportunities for all – in a city thathas, for more than 175 years, strived towelcome and house residents in all theirdiversity. With our partners we intend tohonour and build on that tradition for thenext 10 years and beyond because“decenthousing simply has to be achieved in ourdemocratic society.”


Powering Economic ProsperityAttracts immigrants, key workers and askilled labour force

Encourages businesses to locate andexpand locally

Every 1,000 units of affordable housingbuilt creates between 2,000 and 2,500person years of employment

Costs less on average ($23 per day) thanuse of emergency shelters ($69), jails ($142)and hospitals ($665) when people arehomeless

Powering a Greener CityAllows people to live closer to where theywork, reducing vehicle-related greenhousegas emissions

Upgrades to energy efficiencymeasures reduce the greenhousegases emitted by the heating andcooling of residential buildings

Powering LiveableNeighbourhoodsMakes streets safer and encourages businessand other investments in neighbourhoods

Diverse neighbourhoods provideopportunity and affordability in all 44 wardsacross the City

Reducing concentration of poverty,improves health, safety and quality of life forresidents

Powering Healthy PeopleDecreases exposure to harmful conditionssuch as mould, toxins or poor air qualityfound in inadequate housing

Increased stability and security results inbetter mental and physical health.

Improves educational outcomesand opportunities for children.


The Power of Affordable Housing

ECONOMIC PROSPERITY

LIVEABLENEIGHBOURHOODS

AFFORDABLEHOUSING

ENVIRONMENTALSUSTAINABILITY

HEALTHY PEOPLE

The City ofToronto’s Coat of Arms boasts themotto:“Diversity Our Strength.”Those areimportant words for a city that strives to provide

a high quality of life for all of its residents.

But it is one thing to speak proudly of diversity on theCoat of Arms and quite another to take action to ensurepeople are made welcome.That is why this Planproposes the adoption by City Council of a first forCanada – an affordable housing charter.

The Toronto Housing Charter – Opportunity for Allbrings together existing Council policy and sets outToronto’s aims and purposes in addressinghomelessness and housing issues. It contains a formalpolicy statement to guide both Council decisions andstaff actions in the provision of housing services to allTorontonians. It specifically states that “All residentsshould have a safe, secure, affordable and well-maintained home from which to realize their fullpotential.” This is consistent with the City’s Official Planwhich recognizes adequate and affordable housing as abasic requirement for everyone.

But the Charter goes beyond that and states that “Allresidents should be able to live in their neighbourhoodof choice without discrimination.”

In other words, the City believes, as stated in the OfficialPlan, that a full range of housing options should beavailable acrossToronto, in every ward and everyneighbourhood – from accessible apartments forseniors, to large homes for multi-generational families,to opportunities for individuals whose needs are bestserved by sharing their homes.

As the Charter notes: “All residents have the right toequal treatment in housing without discrimination asprovided by the Ontario Human Rights Code…” TheCity will work to support this right by promoting thebenefits of affordable housing acrossToronto.


Creating Housing Opportunities in all Neighbourhoods

“When a culture ensuresthat all of its citizens

have a home, the qualityof life in that society

improves.”Karen Bach, Yonge Street MissionAffordable Housing Committeedeputation

Strategic Theme One

The policies set out in the Charter are the foundationfor the direction and actions proposed in this Plan.

So, how does the City act to put the Charter intoaction? Part of the answer is a Councillor’s guide tohousing opportunities.Good Homes-Good Neighboursis a toolbox filled with advice and resources to meet thehousing needs of ward residents.

It offers guidelines for Councillors wishing to takeaction to meet different housing needs in theircommunities.Whether it’s setting the tone for publicmeetings or helping a homeless person get off the streetor working with city planning staff to negotiate withdevelopers for affordable housing benefits,GoodHomes-Good Neighbours supports a Councillor’s workat the local level.

Another means of making the Charter relevant to thedaily life of Toronto residents is to raise awareness of itsprinciples.To that end, the City will conduct a publiceducation initiative highlighting the Charter’s message.

City Actions

1. Approve the Toronto Housing Charter that affirmsthe opportunity for all residents to have a safe,secure, affordable and well-maintained home fromwhich to realize their full potential,withoutdiscrimination.

2. Support Councillors to take a leadership roleaddressing affordable housing issues in their wardsby providing Good Homes-Good Neighbours, aCouncillor’s guide to affordable housing.

3. Work with partners to undertake public educationinitiatives highlighting the Toronto HousingCharter.

4. Examine bringing forward a bylaw that strengthensthe City’s response to housing discrimination.


What we heard:

“We need our political leaders

to underscore that all people have

the right to secure housing and

that attempts to exclude people

because they are homeless or have

mental health issues are

discrimination and a violation of

fundamental human rights.”Peter Lye, DreamTeamJune 16th Affordable HousingCommittee deputation

“All people have the right to live

in communities of their choice,

without discrimination.”Paul Dowling, HomeComingJune 16th Affordable HousingCommittee deputation

Toronto Housing Charter – Opportunity for All

Policy Statement:

It is the policy of the City ofToronto that fair access to a full range of housing isfundamental to strengtheningToronto’s economy, its environmental efforts, and the healthand social well-being of its residents and communities.

In that regard:

All residents should have a safe, secure, affordable and well-maintained home from which torealize their full potential.

All residents should be able to live in their neighbourhood of choice withoutdiscrimination.

All residents, regardless of whether they rent or own a home,or are homeless, have anequal stake and voice inToronto’s future.

All residents have the right to equal treatment in housing without discrimination asprovided by the Ontario Human Rights Code, and to be protected from discriminatorypractices which limit their housing opportunities.

All housing inToronto should be maintained and operated in a good and safe state of repair.

Implementation:

The Toronto Housing Charter – Opportunity for All is designed to guide City Counciland the City’s public service in the provision of services and programs to residents.

The City ofToronto will consult and work with the Ontario Human Rights Commission tosupport the housing rights of residents and to advance the policies contained in theToronto Housing Charter.

The City ofToronto will from time to time review theToronto Housing Charter to reflectany amendments to complementary policies includingToronto’s Official Plan, the HumanRights and Anti-Harassment Policy, and the Vision Statement on Access, Equity and Diversity.


In 2008, about 25,000 people experiencedhomelessness and needed to rely on an emergencyshelter for at least one night.While there are manysuccessful programs and services in place to assistpeople who are homeless, there is more work to bedone to ensure that all Torontonians have access to thesecurity, dignity and stability of a home.

The best way to end homelessness is to provide peoplewith permanent housing.Once people have access tothe security, dignity and stability of housing, they canthen begin to address other challenges — such as lackof employment skills and mental health or addictionissues.

Research and experience have shown that formerlyhomeless individuals, even those with complex mentalhealth and addiction issues, can successfully maintainhousing with the appropriate supports.This is the basisof the Housing First approach which is the foundationfor all services and programs to address homelessnessand housing in the City ofToronto.

The success of the Streets to Homes program inproviding intensive case management supports to assistpeople to move into housing directly from the street,with more than 90 per cent remaining housed,provesthat the Housing First approach works.Housing workersin shelters also assist people to move into housingdirectly from shelters.Once people are in housing withappropriate supports their quality of life improvesdramatically, and they experience improved health, asense of security, better nutrition, less alcohol and druguse, and a more positive outlook for the future.

Providing housing is not only the right thing to dobecause it improves people’s quality of life, it is also acost-effective solution to homelessness.Once people arein housing, they tend to use fewer expensive emergencyservices and begin accessing more appropriate healthand community services to meet their needs.Research


Help Homeless and Vulnerable People Find and Keep Homes

“We look to the City tocontinue programs likeStreets to Homes, whichreach out to people whoare homeless and providesupports to get people off

the street and intopermanent housing.”The Dream Team

Strategic Theme Two

shows the savings to other services such as hospitalemergency rooms, ambulance and policing offset asignificant portion of the costs of providing housing andsupports through Streets to Homes.

While providing housing is important, ensuring peoplealso have the supports they need to remain in theirhomes is critical. Some vulnerable tenants needadditional supports in order to maintain their housing.In particular,more housing supports are needed insocial housing communities.Along with therevitalization of physical infrastructure, these supportsare critical to ensuring that residents are able tomaintain housing stability and to developing healthyand successful communities.Other services, such asHousing Help Centres and Drop-in Centres, also helppeople find and keep their homes.

In addition to those who are homeless,many othervulnerable groups require assistance to find suitablehousing. People with mental health issues or physicaldisabilities, people with environmental sensitivities,Aboriginal people, immigrants and refugees, victims ofviolence, low-income families with children, youthleaving child welfare care, and seniors all have distinctneeds for housing and supports.

The Streets to Homes program has recently beenenhanced to provide service to all street-involved people,including those who panhandle.There are now morethan three times as many outreach workers on the streetin the downtown core to assist people to find housing.

Housing outreach staff work with clients one-on-one tofind them housing directly from the street and toaddress other needs that will help reduce panhandling.The program will continue to implement theseenhanced services and work with community agencies,drop-in centres, business associations and police toensure a coordinated approach to ending streethomelessness. Implementation and outcomes will beassessed and program improvements and adjustmentsmade as required.


What we heard:

“Youth said that good, stable,

affordable housing made it easier to

go to school and have a quiet place

to study, build a healthy lifestyle,

search for and maintain

employment, plan for the future,

feel good about the present and be

optimistic about the future.”Marion AudyCatholic Children’s Aid Society

“For some older adults

appropriate supports prevent them

from cycling back to the streets or

from moving to institutional

settings such as nursing homes and

hospitals.”Institute for Life Course and Aging

“It is essential that

programmatic supports are

integrated with housing

sustainability. Whether we are

considering the homeless and

vulnerable or inclusive,

sustainable neighbourhoods,

bricks and mortar are not

enough.”Major Dennis BrownSalvation Army

The City will also work with the Province to establish apermanent program using flexible per diem funding toprovide supports to assist more people to move fromshelters into permanent housing.This would be anexpansion of a program similar to the successful Hostelsto Homes pilot.

In addition, the City will work with the Province toadapt the existing funding model for shelters to supporta Housing First approach.The current model providesfunding based on occupancy, rather than on actualoperating and support costs to provide services tohomeless people. By modifying the funding model tocreate greater flexibility and individualized supports tohelp shelter users find and keep permanent housing, theshelter system will be returned to its original role ofproviding temporary emergency assistance.

Another step to achieve this goal will be redevelopingselected shelter sites to include a mix of affordable andsupportive housing, and to enhance shelter serviceswith more appropriate facilities and programs thatbetter meet client needs.

Redevelopment will revitalize the surroundingneighbourhoods and create mixed-use housingdevelopments that may include private market housing,social housing, innovative long-term care,health care andsupportive housing models and emergency shelter beds.

Other forms of innovative affordable housing thatprovide the support people need to leave homelessnessare also required.This includes interim housing thatprovides immediate access to housing for an individualwhile their permanent housing plan is being developed.Redevelopment of residential apartment buildings andsingle room occupancy hotels can be one way to createnew interim or supportive housing.

While the Province has provided funding to create somenew supportive housing in recent years,many peoplewith complex, ongoing mental health and addictionissues are still not able to get the long-term supportsthey need to remain in housing.More provincially-


Success Story:Hostels to Homes Pilot

This pilot program providesflexibility in the use ofshelter per diem funding toassist frequent shelter usersto find and move intopermanent housing.Housing support workersprovide follow-up supportsfor an 18 month period.

These supports help clientsto search for a place to live,develop life and social skills,connect to services in theirneighbourhood and alsoprovide housingstabilization and crisissupport.

In the initial pilot, 310individuals were assisted tofind housing, and in thesecond phase 30 familyhouseholds were housedthrough the program.

The pilot program has beena highly successful exampleof a provincially fundedprogram which providesmunicipalities the flexibilityto develop innovativestrategies appropriate tolocal circumstances in orderto assist frequent shelterusers to end theirhomelessness.

funded supportive housing and mentalhealth and addiction supports are neededto assist these most vulnerable individuals.

Seniors, in particular, are a rapidly growingdemographic group with specific housingneeds.These needs must be addressedthrough the development of innovativenew models of housing and supports whichallow seniors to receive the care needed toremain in their homes. Some seniors, suchas those who have experiencedhomelessness or have drug and alcoholaddictions, require specialized supports tomeet their unique needs.

City Actions:

5. ExpandToronto’s Housing Firstapproach to help people living on thestreet or in shelters find permanentaffordable housing by:

a. Continuing to work toward Council’sgoal of ending street homelessnessthrough the implementation of theenhanced Streets to Homes program.

b. Working with the Province to establisha permanent program using flexibleshelter per diem funding to provideshelter clients with housing supports inthe community, similar to the Hostels toHomes pilot.

c. Working with the Province toimplement a new funding model forshelters that supports a Housing Firstapproach.

d. Redeveloping selected emergencyshelter sites into a combination ofinnovative long-term care, health care,supportive and affordable housing andemergency shelter programs.

6. Co-ordinate and provide supports andhousing to ensure homeless and

vulnerable people are able to keep theirhomes by:

a. Allocating funding to communityprograms and services which helppeople find and keep homes.

b. Advocating to the provincial and federalgovernments to provide increasedfunding to enhance housing supportsavailable to vulnerable tenants in privatemarket and social housing communities.

7. Expand alternative, supportive andinterim housing for formerly homelessand vulnerable people by:

a. Developing new interim housing unitsfor people housed from shelters andclients of the Streets to Homes program

b. Replenishing the Mayor’s HomelessnessInitiative Fund to support developmentof supportive and interim housing.

8. Support the acquisition and renovationof residential apartment and similarbuildings such as single roomoccupancy (SRO) hotels to providesustainable, affordable rental homes by:

a. Providing funding for theredevelopment of SRO hotels as interimand supportive housing for peopleleaving shelters and Streets to Homesprogram clients.

b. Encouraging acquisition/renovation ofprivately-owned apartment buildings,legal rooming houses and SRO hotels asan eligible option under futureprograms for affordable housingdevelopment.

9. Address future supportive/alternativehousing needs for vulnerable andformerly homeless people with mentalhealth and daily living challenges by:


a. Working in partnership with the MentalHealth Commission of Canada andhousing providers to implement anddevelop further evidence for successfulhousing program models for individualswith mental health issues.

b. Identifying effective practices and gapsin existing supportive/alternativehousing for clients with complex needs.

c. Working with the provincialgovernment to ensure that mentalhealth supportive housing options areintegrated into the housing andhomelessness service system.

10. Address the housing issues facingAboriginal people who are homeless by:

a. Allocating funds to support thedevelopment ofAboriginal-specifichousing options.

b. Developing partnerships with andsupporting the delivery of housing supportservices byAboriginal-specific agencies.

11.Develop strategies to help seniors liveindependently in existing social andrental housing by:

a. Creating new models of housing andsupports and long-term care forvulnerable and formerly homelessseniors with complex needs.

b. Assisting seniors in social and rentalhousing to live independently.

c. Redeveloping long-term care facilities intoCampuses of Care that promote healthyaging in place with a range of housing,health and social service options in asingle location.

12.Use the Street Needs Assessment andother research to help guide futureaffordable housing strategies by:

a. Conducting a Street NeedsAssessment

every three years,with the next to occurin 2012.

b. Analyzing available data to identify changesand evidence for future service needs.

Requests to the Federaland Provincial Governments:

13. The provincial government use aHousing First approach to deliverfunding and services to vulnerable andhomeless people, including reinvestingsavings achieved by this approach fromother areas, such as health, immigration,corrections and emergency services.

14. The provincial government implement anew funding model for shelters whichsupports a Housing First approach andprovide flexibility in the use of shelterfunding to establish a permanentprogram to provide shelter clients withhousing supports in the community,similar to the Hostels to Homes pilot.

15. The provincial government increasefunding for mental health supportivehousing and housing with supportsoptions and that these be integrated intothe existing housing and homelessnessservice system.

16. The provincial government increasefunding for housing supports,HousingHelp Centres and Drop-in Centres.

17. The provincial government increasefunding for supportive housing optionsfor vulnerable seniors.

18. The federal government, at a minimum,double and make permanent funding toaddress homelessness.

19. The federal government increasefunding and revise criteria for programsthat help landlords repair and adaptrental housing for seniors and othervulnerable people.



Assist Families and Individuals to Afford Rents

Far too many people in the City ofToronto struggleto pay their rent each month.More than 200,000tenant households, or 47 per cent of renters, have

affordability problems and pay more than 30 per cent oftheir income on rent. For half of these households whopay more than 50 per cent of their income on rent,affordability is an even more serious issue.

For many of these families, the high cost of housingmeans choosing between paying the rent and puttingfood on the table. Families who have little disposableincome available after paying their rent are also less ableto help their children participate in extra-curricular andrecreational activities that provide importantdevelopmental and social opportunities.

Some people are able to live in rent-geared-to-income(RGI) units provided through social housing and rentsupplements in private market buildings. Low-incometenants in these units pay 30 per cent of their incometoward rent with the balance covered by a subsidy.Regardless of changes in income, their housing willremain affordable.When incomes go up, rents go up aswell.

The City has administered the centralized social housingwaiting list since 2002 under the authority andregulation of the Social Housing Reform Act (SHRA),.The SHRA sets out provincially mandated rules foroperating the centralized waiting list and establishesareas of local policy discretion.

However, there is a huge unmet need for moresubsidized housing and the waiting list is far too long.Waiting times range from 2 – 12 years depending on theunit size and location. For vulnerable individuals andfamilies struggling to pay the rent and who may be atrisk of losing their home in the near future, being toldthey must wait years for an affordable home is difficultand frustrating.

“Housing concernsshould be linked to

income security. Socialassistance benefits and

minimum pay are too lowand should be increased

substantially.”Participant,Margaret Frazer House consultation

Strategic Theme Three

For those at risk of losing their housing, the City has arange of programs to help prevent eviction and regainhousing stability.The Rent Bank provides interest-freeloans to households at risk of being evicted due toarrears.Workers at seven Housing Help Centres assistpeople to find affordable housing and provide educationon tenant rights, landlord mediation and otherassistance to try to prevent evictions.

There is also a range of services available to assisthomeless and recently-housed individuals to participatein skills training, volunteer work or employment.Engaging in some form of employment or othermeaningful activity supports reintegration into homeand community for homeless and under-housed people,as well as providing the opportunity to earn income forlong-term self-sufficiency.

However,while these programs are important, the keyto meeting the housing needs of the many thousands ofhouseholds with serious affordability problems isproviding more provincially-funded rent supplements,housing allowances and other shelter benefits.

Although the underlying problem is a shortage ofsubsidized RGI homes for low-income residents whocannot afford market rents, there is also more that canbe done to determine how service to clients could beimproved and whether the current waiting list system ismeeting the City’s intended objective of providingaccess to housing.

A comprehensive review of the waiting list will evaluateits effectiveness in meeting the needs of social housingapplicants, housing providers and the broadercommunity.The review will identify successes as well asgaps, limitations and barriers in the access system inToronto and elsewhere.The impact of City rules,policies and procedures will be evaluated andalternatives identified.The review will also evaluate andmake recommendations for changes to the SHRA toenableToronto to administer the waiting list to bestmeet local needs.


What we heard:

“Make affordable housing

accessible by creating standard,

citywide procedures that applicants

can easily navigate.”Artist Affordable HousingStakeholder Consultation

“The Province should provide

long term funding for rent

supplement and housing allowance

programs, including those

programs already operating and

any new programs.”Mayor’s Roundtable on Seniors

“A homeless mom will worry

about housing, feeding, clothing

and schooling her children. Her

own needs for education, training

and employment are always

last.”Aboriginal StakeholderGTA Aboriginal housingconsultations

City Actions:

20.Keep tenants housed through eviction preventionand education by:

a. Funding Housing Help Centres to provide housingassistance to at-risk households.

b. Administering the provincially-funded Rent Bankprogram which helps at-risk households avoideviction through short-term, interest free loans.

c. Providing funding to drop-in centres to provide foodand other practical supports that promote housingstability.

21. Support the development of skills trainingopportunities, employment creation initiatives andcommunity economic development for socialhousing tenants, shelter users, street involved andrecently housed homeless people by:

a. Expanding specialized employability assessment andcounselling supports.

b. Facilitating access to skills training,work preparationoptions and educational opportunities withspecialized accommodations and supports.

c. Working with the business community, non-profitorganizations and government to developtransitional work programs and to brokeremployment opportunities with appropriatesupports for individuals who require a staged re-entry to the workforce.

d. Continuing to support the development of socialpurpose enterprises that provide supported workplacement and employment opportunities.

22.Transform the social housing waiting list into aproactive social housing access system by:

a. Leading a comprehensive review to explore how toimprove service to clients,more effectively matchapplicants with units, and provide fair and efficientaccess to housing for the most vulnerable.

b. Implementing identified recommendations andadvocating for the changes to provincial legislationthat are required in order to create an effective,


Success Story:Toronto EnterpriseFund

The Toronto EnterpriseFund (TEF) is anorganization whichfacilitates thedevelopment of socialpurpose enterprises. Asocial purpose enterpriseis a business that is run bya non-profit organizationwhich balances bothrevenue generation and asocial objective - the“double-bottom line”.

By being provided withemployment opportunities,people who are homelessor at risk of homelessnessgain valuable skills andwork experience,improved self-esteem,and connections to theircommunity. As well, byhelping people generateadditional income andreduce their poverty, theTEF helps to prevent andreduce homelessness.

In partnership with theUnited Way, the City ofToronto provides fundingto the TEF through thefederal HomelessnessPartnership Initiative.

responsive and customer-orientedwaiting list system.


23.The provincial government assist low-income residents through sustainableincreased funding for rent supplements,housing allowances, and/or othershelter benefits.

24.The provincial and federal governmentscontinue to fund housing allowance andrent supplement programs, in particularthose which are set to expire.

25.The federal and provincial governmentsprovide municipalities greater authorityunder a more flexible legislativeframework to make local decisionsabout social housing.

26.The provincial government annuallyincrease and adjust social assistancerates to reflect current living standardsand to include a shelter componentmaximum equal to 100 per cent of themedian market rent for each localhousing market, based on annualstatistics collected by the CanadaMortgage and Housing Corporation.

27.The provincial and federal governmentsincrease access to EmploymentInsurance, child benefit programs andother benefits for the working poor.


Well maintained, safe and affordable rentalhomes make a powerful, positivecontribution to the lives of more than one

millionToronto renters.

In addition to encouraging the development of newaffordable rental housing, the challenge is to ensure thatexisting rental housing remains affordable and wellmaintained.

Over the next decade, the housing needs of many low-to-moderate-income residents will be met primarilythroughToronto’s existing 440,000 rental homes. As aresult, preserving and repairing this valuable asset is acritical component of this 10-year Plan.

Like other buildings inToronto, our private and socialhousing rental stock is aging. By 2020, some 60 percent of rental apartments will be at least 50 years old. Insome parts ofToronto, low-rise rental housing is mucholder.

Many of these buildings require costly repairs for basiccomponents such as boilers, roofs, plumbing andelectrical systems. They are also among the least energyefficient buildings in the city, are a significant source ofgreenhouse gases and can impose an“energy burden”on low-income households.

Preserving and fixing rental housing starts with the Citycontinuing to repair the social, non-profit and co-operative housing it directly administers.This meansmaintaining and investing in an asset of more than90,000 rental homes worth some $16 billion. Likewise,the federal and provincial governments must re-invest inthe thousands of co-operative and supportive rentalhomes they directly administer inToronto.

Toronto Community Housing faces a $352 millionshortfall for the repair of its rental homes over the next10 years. In addition, the City’s 28,000 non-profit and


Preserve and Repair Rental Housing

“We recognize theproblem can’t be solvedovernight. Nevertheless,the enormity of theproblem should not

prevent action from beingtaken today. There is a

great need for new socialhousing to be built, butwe can’t forget whatalready exists.””

Wallace Simpson,Save Our Structures

Strategic Theme Four

co-operative homes require at least an estimated $340million by 2020 to maintain them in a state of goodrepair.

It has long been recognized that the provincial transferof social housing toToronto and other Ontariomunicipalities in the early 1990s did not fully considerthe medium and long-term implications.This is perhapsmost apparent in the lack of funding for the normalrepairs and maintenance that every home needs.

Similarly, the transfer arrangement severely constrainsnon-profit and co-operative housing operators fromaccessing financing to pay for repairs and renovations.Complex administrative rules and an inflexibleprovincial legislative framework prevent the City frommaking locally appropriate decisions and takingadvantage of opportunities associated with theredevelopment and regeneration of neighbourhoods.

Many social housing providers also struggle to attractand keep qualified volunteer board members and staff.Administrators of social housing projects are oftenexpected to be knowledgeable in many areas includingbuilding maintenance, finance, labour relations, tenantsupport services and multiculturalism.Particularly forsmaller organizations, lack of opportunities for trainingor promotion, the small scale of operations which maylimit salaries and benefits, as well as the complex issuesfacing social housing providers make it difficult torecruit and keep new workers.New strategies areneeded to address these challenges.

Another provincial funding inequity which drains Citycoffers involves the rental subsidies provided tohouseholds receiving social assistance.The Provincepays a much smaller subsidy to social assistancerecipients in social housing, compared to those whorent in the private market.The City is required to makeup the difference between that amount and the actualrent.This funding gap costsToronto $77 millionannually:money that could be better spent on repairingsocial housing.


What we heard:

“We know that there is a stigma

attached to the term rooming

houses. We also know that with

supports, rooming houses can

provide stable housing.”Phil NazarRooming House Working Group

“There are billions of dollars

tied up in social housing and

regulations make it impossible to

use any of this equity to develop

more affordable housing.”Jon HarstoneDevelopment Consultant

“Several participants conceived

of poor quality, unsafe housing as

a human rights issue. Many felt

that private landlords were not

held to account to maintain

housing in good repair.”Community Social PlanningCouncil of Toronto

Meanwhile, the federal government continues to reap agrowing financial windfall from the expiry of socialhousing mortgage agreements inToronto. Theimplications are staggering: by 2020 some $120 millionin annual federal funding is scheduled to be withdrawnfromToronto’s social housing budget.

Social housing repair has topped the City’s list of recentinvestments — led by Council’s decision in 2008 toinvest $75 million from the sale ofToronto HydroTelecom in the repair ofToronto Community Housingbuildings and suites.The provincial government has alsocommitted $36 million in repair funding.

Toronto Community Housing is implementing a 10-year,$952 million Real Estate Asset Investment Strategy torefurbish more than 50,000 homes. The goal is toprovide housing in a good state of repair within healthycommunities, cost-effective management and a 40 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.TorontoCommunity Housing has $600 million in base fundingfor this strategy, leaving a $352 million gap.

In 2009, the federal government, for the first time inmore than 10 years, committed, as part of its economicrecovery plan, new funding to repair existing socialhousing.That amounts to $704 million infederal/provincial funding in Ontario over the nextseveral years.

These initial investments over the short term are a goodstart and will result in better buildings and livingconditions for social housing residents. But ensuringthat this valuable asset achieves and maintains a state ofgood repair requires ongoing and sustainable funding.

The private rental sector is not immune to thesechallenges. Among the 330,000 private rental homesscattered among a range of owners, from singleindependent owners to large real estate investmenttrusts, there is a significant need for costly upgrades.Asrepair costs may lead to rent increases, there must be acareful balancing of upgrades and affordability.Providing financial incentives to private marketlandlords can help achieve this balance.


“Everyone agrees that well-

funded, well-managed social

housing is essential for

communities to be socially and

economically viable. The City of

Toronto has taken all the action it

can to ensure the continued value

of this city asset. But still the

social housing stock continues to

be at risk. At best, the City does not

have the fiscal capacity to continue

to meet its current social housing

responsibilities. At worst, it cannot

manage the growing costs of the

existing stock, let alone provide

the needed new stock. Doing

nothing or tinkering with the

status quo is not an option if the

very fabric of the City is not to be

worn down by the continuing

deterioration of social housing

communities.”Tied in Knots,Report to City Council, 2007

A promising new program is Mayor’sTower Renewal.Launched in 2008, it will provide upgrades, communityinvestment and greening forToronto’s 1,000 public andprivate high-rise towers.This long-term initiative willbring direct funding to apartment neighborhoods, fostervibrant communities and improve the environment byreducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Green upgrades and renovations of existing high-risebuildings will result in lower energy costs to rentaloperators.When combined with financial incentiveprograms, they may also help keep rents affordable.

Mayor’sTower Renewal now includes four buildings andwill expand to others acrossToronto over the nextseveral years. By 2020, it is anticipated that hundreds ofbuildings could participate.

WhileTower Renewal will address the most energyinefficient high-rise buildings, there are significantmaintenance and repair needs in the rest of the rentalstock as well. Poorly maintained rental buildings areneither good for residents nor the community. Overtime, such buildings become more costly to repair, areabandoned or left for deliberate and prematuredemolition.

The conversion or demolition of rental housing reducesthe choices available to lower income residents.Theimpact is greater when the market does not produceenough affordable rental housing. In 2002, the Cityestablished policies to protect rental housing bypreventing the demolition or conversion of residenceswith six or more units (unless replacements areprovided in the case of demolition).

In 2007,Council confirmed this goal by adopting anenhanced bylaw that extends the range of housing to beprotected.As a result, only 600 rental homes have beenlost between 2002 and 2008,much less than in otherlarge Ontario cities.

Also launched in 2008, theToronto Multi-ResidentialApartment Building Strategy provides an audit andenforcement program to upgrade 176 public and private


Success Story:Toronto CommunityHousing’s UnitRefurbishmentProgram

Over three years, TorontoCommunity Housing’s UnitRefurbishment Program willupgrade 9,000 bathroomsand kitchens (and relatedmechanical systems) whichare currently in poor repair.The $76 million investmentincludes $42 million fromthe City of Toronto (HydroTelecom sale) and $34million from the Province.

The program focuses onthose units in greatest needof repair and was developedwith the direct input oftenants. This work willimprove the livingconditions for thousands ofpeople. The program willalso provide training andemployment opportunitiesfor youth and tenants.

Other key work includes theremoval of mould andasbestos to ensure safe andhealthy living environments.

sector rental buildings. Like Mayor’sTowerRenewal, the strategy will assist low-and-moderate income residents by promotingsafe,well-maintained buildings.

Private rental operators are also eligible forsuch federal initiatives as the ResidentialRehabilitation Assistance Program,which isadministered by the City. Between1998 and2008, the City has overseen the delivery ofmore than $52 million in grants and loansto support the repair, renovation andretrofit of more than 5,400 low-incomerental homes. Over the next decade thereis a tremendous opportunity to expandexisting federally funded renovation andenergy retrofit initiatives. Such initiativesshould also give attention to fire preventioninitiatives that improve the safety ofresidents and the preservation of housing.

To ensure private sector rental buildings arerepaired and updated within the nextdecade, there is a need to increaseincentives and opportunities.This will beessential to preserveToronto’s rentalhousing while providing affordable rents.

Finally, any discussion about thepreservation of affordable housing mustacknowledge the role of second suites androoming houses as part of the range ofaffordable housing options required inToronto. For many of the City’s mostvulnerable residents, the availability of suchoptions means the difference betweenbeing homeless and being housed. Secondsuites and rooming houses also provide aneffective way to integrate affordablehousing into all ofToronto’s residentialneighbourhoods.

City Actions:

28. Ensure that the existing social housingstock achieves and maintains a state ofgood repair by:

a. Supporting the efforts ofTorontoCommunity Housing to implement itsReal Estate Asset Investment Strategy.

b. Working with non-profit and co-operative housing operators to improvetheir financial capacity to respond tostate of good repair needs and maintaintheir buildings.

29. Strengthen the more than 250 non-profit and co-operative housingproviders to make them even moreeffective partners in delivering andmaintaining social housing communitiesby:

a. Encouraging the federal and provincialgovernments to invest in strategies toensure that social housing providers areable to attract and keep qualifiedvolunteer board members and staff.

b. Working with social housing sectororganizations to seek opportunities forcollaborations and mergers.

c. Working with social housing sectororganizations to develop training tostrengthen the capacity of housingprovider boards and staff.

30. Ensure existing affordable rentalhousing is preserved by:

a. Establishing an ‘abandoned buildingprotocol’ designed to identify andprovide solutions where rental buildingsare deliberately left vacant.

b. Consistently applying the Official Planhousing policies and the City’sconversion and demolition bylaw to


prevent the loss of rental housing whenproperty owners apply for Cityapprovals.

31. Preserve and expand the supply ofaffordable housing available to singlepersons by:

a. Encouraging and permitting an increasein legal,well run rooming houses andother appropriate forms of housingwhere current zoning by-laws allow, andsubject to any future changes to thezoning by-law.

b. Providing training and other supports tolandlords and operators to assist themto improve and maintain the roominghouse stock.

32. Promote the repair and retrofit ofhomes in the public and private rentalsector by:

a. Expanding Mayor’sTower Renewalbased on the recommendationsemerging from the pilot projects.

b. Ensuring the existing private rentalstock is maintained in good repairthrough a permanent proactive strategyprogram, such as the Multi-ResidentialApartment Building Strategy.

c. Working with social and private housingproviders to promote fire safety,including the development of homeescape plans and the maintenance ofworking smoke alarms.


33.The federal government re-invest thesavings arising from the expiration ofcurrent agreements back into socialhousing.

34.The federal and provincial governmentsprovide ongoing and sustainablefunding to ensure the social housingstock achieves and maintains a state ofgood repair.

35.The provincial government increase thecap on rent scales for social assistancerecipients in rent-geared-to-incomehousing to match the maximum shelterallowances provided by Ontario Worksand the Ontario Disability SupportProgram.

36.The federal and provincial governmentsfacilitate the redevelopment andrefinancing of social housing byamending regulations which limitinnovation in leveraging the use ofsocial housing assets for investments inbuilding repairs, expansions and energyretrofits.

37.The federal and provincial governmentsimplement the recommendations fromthe report,Tied in Knots: Unlocking thePotential of Social Housing, approvedby City Council in December 2007.

38.The federal and provincial governmentsincrease funding for private-sectorrental repair and energy retrofitprograms while ensuring rents remainaffordable.


Toronto’s diverse neighbourhoods are home to 2.7million people and are a powerful positive force,drawing investment, tourists and new residents.

But while many of these neighbourhoods provide a mixof housing opportunities and a range of services, toomany others do not.That is why the City has focused onrevitalizing existing neighbourhoods and developingmixed-income and mixed-use communities.

In some cases, past decisions to build large publichousing communities with limited services andinfrastructure have contributed to the marginalization oflow-income families and individuals in social housingbuildings.

Much of this social housing can be found within high-needs neighbourhoods where there is a concentrationof poverty, coupled with a lack of communityinfrastructure.Toronto’s Strong NeighbourhoodsStrategy seeks to strengthen the most disadvantagedneighbourhoods through an integrated,place-basedpartnership that connects the three orders ofgovernment with local stakeholders to better targetcommunity resources.

Over the next decade, it is essential that the City buildon this successful foundation to help revitalize andimprove the quality of life in communities whereresidents live in poverty and isolation.

This starts with providing a mix of housingopportunities in the revitalization of existingTorontoCommunity Housing communities and the developmentof new mixed-income communities.

Toronto Community Housing is in the forefront of theCity’s social housing revitalization efforts.Over the next10 years,Toronto Community Housing will continue andcomplete the revitalization of Regent Park inToronto’seast downtown.


Revitalize Neighbourhoods

“It is not acceptable tocontinue ghettoizing low-income communities. Weneed to build mixed

incomeneighbourhoods.”Consultation participant

Community Social Planning Councilof Toronto

What we heard:

“People want family-friendly

public housing spread across the

city in quiet, safe neighbourhoods.

Most want to live near

conveniences like shopping, good

TTC, excellent schools and parks

and services such as community

centres and libraries.”St Stephen’s Community House

Strategic Theme Five

By 2020,Regent Park will be home to12,500 people living in a mix ofsocial, affordable and market rentaland ownership homes. Streets closedfor more than 50 years will be re-opened.Residents will enjoy newshopping services and new recreationand aquatic centres, children’s huband central park.

Successfully accomplishing thistransformation will require ongoingsupport and investment from thefederal, provincial and citygovernments. Public investments toreplace existing social housing andprovide new affordable rental andownership opportunities will be afundamental component of this work.Ensuring that there is necessarycapital investment in hardinfrastructure, as well as incommunity facilities, is essential tothe creation of healthy, sociallyinclusive neighbourhoods.

Looking forward,Toronto CommunityHousing has adopted a long-termstrategy to revitalize another 13 socialhousing communities. It begins byworking and consulting withresidents of the existing 4,800 homesin these communities to determinethe best approach.

Toronto Community Housing hasinitiated work on Lawrence Heightsas the next large-scale re-development.Revitalization here willrepair or rebuild 1,200 rent-geared-to-income homes for 3,700 tenants onmore than 60 acres of land.

As one of the City’s priorityneighbourhoods, Lawrence Heights


Success Story:The New Regent Park Neighbourhood

Toronto Community Housing is transformingRegent Park, one of Canada’s oldest andlargest social housing communities, into avibrant, mixed-use, mixed-incomecommunity. It will look and feel much likeother downtown neighbourhoods.

Over six phases and some 15 years,beginning in 2006, Regent Park’s populationwill grow from 7,500 people living in 2,083units – all social housing – to 12,500 peopleliving in 5,115 social, affordable and markethomes, both rental and ownership, with anadditional 375 new social housing unitscreated nearby. Keys to success include:

• Diversity: a socially-mixed, mixed-useneighbourhood, featuring several differentbuilding forms.

• Reintegrating Regent Park with the City byaligning buildings along pedestrian-friendlystreets, creating large new park spaces,introducing retail and commercial uses, aswell as opportunities for employment,education, culture and community facilities.

• Creating a green community.

• Effective use of partnerships – TorontoCommunity Housing with the City ofToronto, provincial and federalgovernments; with award-winning marketdeveloper The Daniels Corporation forPhase One; and with community groups.

• Having an open and democratic planningprocess (more than 2,000 residents andcommunity stakeholders consulted).

presents an opportunity to create a mixedincome,mixed-use community that is betterintegrated with surroundingneighbourhoods.The revitalization willprovide a foundation for a strongcommunity through improved parks, bettertransit access, new pedestrian and roadconnections, increased access tocommunity and recreation services, as wellas education, employment and trainingopportunities.

Community revitalization provides theopportunity to replace aging, energy-inefficient buildings, build newmixed-income neighbourhoods and takeadvantage of the development potential ofsurplus property.Overall,TorontoCommunity Housing’s revitalization planssupport the City’s efforts to make social andphysical infrastructure improvementswithin these neighbourhoods.

As occurred with Regent Park, therevitalization of additional communities willleverage the value of existing land, therebyhelping to offset the cost of replacementhomes.

However, additional funding beyond thatgenerated by specific sites will be required.That’s why there is a need for dedicatedfunding from the provincial and federalgovernments — which will be determinedover the course of the 10-year Plan on acommunity-by-community basis.

Revitalization of neighbourhoods is not justabout rebuilding existing homes – it is alsoabout providing new housing in entirelynew communities.

Built from the ground up, these new“complete”neighbourhoods will knit

seamlessly into the surrounding City.Theywill deliver a full range of housing,employment and community services suchas schools, libraries, childcare and transit. Inthe process, these new neighbourhoodswill transform under-used land into vibrantcommunities and clean up pollutedindustrial brownfield sites.

Toronto’s waterfront will see significantchange over the next decade, spearheadedby the WaterfrontToronto Corporation, asnew development and revitalizationproceeds on both public and privateproperty,much of it reclaimed brownfieldsites.The new mixed- incomeneighbourhoods of the West Don Lands andEast Bayfront will proceed first.

There are other large areas publicly orinstitutionally-owned, that are set todevelop new neighbourhoods on surpluslands, such asYork University and ParcDownsview Park. In some instances,City-owned surplus sites in the vicinity may alsobe made available for development.TheCity’s Official Plan policies require suchdevelopments to provide a portion of newresidential units as affordable housing, andto develop an affordable housing strategyfor any new neighbourhood.

Private sector developers seeking increaseddensity on individual large residential sitesof five hectares or more will continue to beexpected to incorporate affordable housingas a condition of the City’s planningapprovals.But most residential developmentinToronto is on sites of less than fivehectares. Such applicants are not requiredby the Official Plan to include affordablehousing when they apply for zoningchanges to permit an increase in the newhousing to be built.


To further encourage these and otheropportunities, the City will work with theProvince to advocate for innovativeapproaches such as tax increment financingand inclusionary housing powers related tothe provision of affordable housing within abroader range of new buildings and newcommunities.

City Actions:

39. SupportToronto Community Housing inthe completion of the Regent Parkrevitalization by:

a. Facilitating City approvals andcoordinating City actions.

b. Providing incentives,where appropriate,to support the redevelopment of theexisting community.

40. Support and participate in therevitalization of 13 social housingcommunities, starting with LawrenceHeights, as part ofToronto CommunityHousing’s 10-year Real Estate AssetInvestment Strategy by:

a. Facilitating required City approvals andcoordinating City actions.

b. Providing City incentives,whereappropriate, to support theredevelopment of the existingcommunities.

41. Support and participate in therevitalization ofToronto’s waterfront,including the creation of 2,400affordable rental homes in the West DonLands and East Bayfront by:


b. Providing City incentives,whereappropriate, to support thedevelopment of the new communities.

42.Use planning tools to create affordablehousing in mixed income, inclusivecommunities by:

a. Adopting an Official Plan amendmentrequiring more family-sized housingwithin the downtown area.

b. Prioritizing the use of the Official Planhousing policies for large sites and newneighbourhoods to secure affordablehousing as part of the planning approvalprocess, and the use of Section 37 of thePlanning Act to obtain contributions foraffordable housing from otherresidential developments where densityand/or height is increased.


43.The federal and provincial governmentsparticipate as funding partners in city-identified neighbourhood revitalizationprojects, including future phases ofRegent Park, Lawrence Heights andother social housing initiatives.

44.The federal and provincial governmentsparticipate as funding partners toachieve affordable housing targets inrevitalization projects such as theWaterfront and shelter redevelopment.

45.The provincial government provideToronto with new powers to implementan inclusionary housing program andtax increment financing to increaseaffordable housing opportunities in newdevelopments.


Toronto boasts a legacy of providing opportunityfor its residents, notably in the creation of morethan 90,000 social housing rental homes in

partnership with the federal and provincialgovernments and local proponents.These homesprovide stable, affordable shelter for 10 per cent ofToronto’s families and individuals,many of whomcannot afford to rent or own in the private housingmarket.

At the same time, there remains a large demand forsocial housing,with more than 66,000 householdswaiting up to 12 years for rent-geared-to-incomeaccommodation.

Over the past decade, through new affordable housinginitiatives, there has been some modest progress.Thishas primarily been through the delivery of thefederal/provincial/municipal Affordable HousingInitiative. The City’s leadership in co-ordinating theseand other housing investments has produced some5,000 affordable rental homes since 2003.

To support affordable housing creation, the newlyupdated Development Charges Bylaw has placed moreresponsibility on developers to contribute to the City’saffordable housing service levels.A greater portion ofdevelopment charge revenues will now be dedicated toaffordable housing over the long term. The City willcontinue to contribute funding from the CapitalRevolving Fund for Affordable Housing and the Mayor’sHomelessness Initiative Fund, in addition todevelopment fee waivers and property tax exemptionsfor affordable housing.

Recognizing that home construction is a powerfuleconomic multiplier contributing to local, provincialand national prosperity and economic recovery efforts,the federal and provincial governments made a two-yearcommitment in 2009 to create 4,500 new rental homes


Create New Affordable Rental Homes

“Funding commitmentswill have to be long-termand dependable….This isan area where a great deal

of creativity will beneeded.”HOT stakeholder consultation

participant 2008

Strategic Theme Six

in Ontario.Toronto’s previous success and experiencemeans it is very well positioned to deliver these newinvestments.

While this initiative is welcome,ongoing, sustainablefederal and provincial funding is required for the City ofToronto to reach its medium and long-term affordablehousing needs.

To help meet an annual target of 1,000 new affordablerental homes and to encourage new housing for familiesand individuals throughoutToronto, this 10-year Plansupports initiatives which provide greater choice andincome mixing in new developments.

To that end, a revised Housing Incentives (MunicipalCapital Facilities) Bylaw will be introduced. It proposesto extend existing incentives, such as developmentcharge exemptions and property tax waivers, toencourage housing developers to integrate affordablerental units within new condominiums.The bylaw willcomplement the creation of new affordable housingsecured through the City’s planning process.

Key to the development of affordable housing is theability of proponents to secure suitable and affordableland and buildings. In this regard, the City’s HousingFirst Policy,which provides surplus City sites foraffordable housing, has been effective in creating morethan 1,000 new rental homes over the past 10 years.

During the next decade the City’s developmentcorporation,BuildToronto,will pursue the developmentof key City assets while incorporating affordablehousing opportunities. This approach will includeopportunities for innovative affordable housinginitiatives with a focus on sites near or at public transitstations.

Transit-related affordable housing has the potential tohelp key workers inToronto’s economy reduce theircommute times and live near where they work. TheCity’s support for a downtown housing co-operative forworkers in the hospitality industry, one block from theQueen Street subway, is an example of how thisapproach is already underway. Providing affordable


What we heard:

“For families with children with

disabilities, creating new housing

that is accessible and affordable is

the best hope to get housing that

meets their needs. Families agreed

that it should be made a priority

because:

• Wait times are unreasonable,

especially for large families, and

those with additional requirements

(i.e., accessible units)

• Current housing is not large/wide

enough to truly become accessible

in a cost effective manner

• Current housing does not have

enough three bedroom plus units

to accommodate larger families

Families also indicated that

location of new housing is an

important consideration, as it

should be close to health care

services, employment and

transit.”Participant,Bloorview Kids Rehab consultation

housing near transit and work supports workingfamilies while also benefiting the environment.

Including affordable housing as part of theintensification and development ofTTC stationssupportsToronto’sTransit City Plan and its goal ofproviding better transit services to neighbourhoods.

Public land has been, and will continue to be, a key partofToronto’s success in building affordable housing.Public sites will be given priority for affordable housingfunding and incentives. These includeTorontoCommunity Housing revitalization sites, as well as landowned by the federal and provincial governments insuch locations as the Waterfront, including the West DonLands. Priority for affordable housing funding will alsobe given to shelter sites that are to be redeveloped andfor the acquisition of Single Room Occupancy (SRO)hotels.

Toronto prides itself on being a city of creativity,whereartists can work and enrich our cultural and economiclife.To attract and keep artists in the City,Toronto willprovide proactive support for artist-focused affordablerental and ownership housing programs,policies andproposals.

Throughout the HOT framework consultations,participants strongly voiced the need for rents that are“truly affordable.” Over the past seven years, homescreated through the Affordable Housing Initiative wereat, or just below, average market rents. While these rentsassist moderate-income families and individuals, theydo not meet the needs of households with very lowincomes,whether working or relying on social assistance.Closing this rent gap is essential to provide affordablehousing to manyAboriginal people,women, seniors,youth,people with mental illnesses and other disabilities.

This Action Plan proposes that there be a much strongeremphasis on affordable housing developments whichoffer a mix of rents, along a spectrum from rent-geared-to-income levels, to average market rents and up to fullmarket rent.


Success Story:YWCA Bergamot

YWCA Bergamot providesaffordable rentalapartments for low-incomewomen. The building,located in northwestToronto, contains 68 homesfor single women andwomen-led families.

Amenities include a daycarecentre, a playground sharedbetween the daycare andthe public, gardens,meeting rooms andcounselling services.

The City of Toronto suppliedland at no cost to the YWCAunder its Housing FirstPolicy, as well as capitalfunding, waiver of fees,charges and property taxesas well as rent supplementsand childcare funding. Theprovincial and federalgovernments also providedcapital funding – as didprivate donors.

The Housing First Policyprovides surplus Cityproperty for affordablehousing purposes on a first-right-of-refusal basis.

City Actions:

46. Support the development of 1,000 newaffordable rental homes annually overthe next 10 years in co-operation withprivate, non-profit and co-operativehousing partners by:

a. Delivering larger per unit fundingamounts available through the newAffordable Housing Initiative.

b. Allocating new funding secured throughthe Development Charges Bylaw toaffordable housing initiatives.

c. Extending City incentives to createaffordable housing within mixed usedevelopments and withincondominiums through a revisedHousing Incentives (Municipal CapitalFacilities) Bylaw with consideration ofmeasures that ensure affordability,stability and security for future residents.

d. Encouraging the provision of affordablehousing opportunities through theplanning approvals process.

e. Replenishing the Capital Revolving Fundto support affordable housing initiatives.

f. Providing new affordable housingdevelopments with additional provincialrent supplement funding, as available.

47. Prioritize the allocation of affordablehousing program funding for:

a. Program-ready initiatives on public sitesbeing developed by proponents such asBuildToronto,Toronto CommunityHousing and WaterfrontToronto.

b. Initiatives to support the redevelopmentof selected emergency shelter sites andthe acquisition of SRO hotels.

c. Proposals that deliver a range of housingtypes and rent levels, especially to meetthe needs of lower-income residents,

people with disabilities, families andfamilies with children with disabilities.

d. Affordable housing proposals thatsecure the affordability of units forlonger terms (e.g.more than 20 years).

e. Non-profit and non-profit co-operativehousing providers because they providelong-term affordability and stability forresidents.

48.Attract and retain artists and othercreative workers inToronto by:

a. Encouraging the creation of affordablecommercial live/work studios to fosterthe development of CreativeToronto.

b. Working with providers of affordablehousing to increase the amount of spaceavailable to artists.

c. Working with providers of affordablehousing to ensure that small non-profitcommercial space be created alongsideor integrated into new projects toincrease business opportunities andrenew streams for housing projects andresidents.

49. Ensure that new affordable housingdevelopment supports the City’s climatechange strategy by:

a. Requiring all affordable housingproposals to achieve the minimumbuilding sustainability and energyefficiency requirements set out in theToronto Green Standards

b. Giving priority to affordable housingproposals that exceed the minimumrequirements under theToronto GreenStandards



50.The provincial government provide newrent supplements on an annual basis tocreate“truly affordable rents” forresidents in new affordable housingdevelopments who earn low wages orreceive social assistance.

51.The federal and provincial governmentsprovide stable, long-term affordablehousing funding and access to surplusproperties to properly meet the needsofTorontonians.


More than one million people live in the 530,000resident-owned homes located throughoutToronto.The wide range of ownership options

available throughout the City strengthensToronto’s abilityto attract and keep residents.

The housing construction boom of the past decade hasbeen a great benefit to the City and its residents in terms ofjobs and revenue generation, new housing and in attractingpeople. In short, residential construction is a key industryinToronto’s economy.

But in recent years, price increases have pushed the goal ofhomeownership beyond the reach of many low-and-moderate income workers.And existing low-incomeowners are finding it increasingly difficult to hold on to andmaintain their homes due to economic pressures.

This Action Plan reaffirms the City’s efforts to provide newaffordable ownership opportunities, as well as supportthose owners unable to pay the cost of making their homessafe, healthy and accessible.

There are good reasons to do so. For most people,homeownership remains the single biggest investment theywill ever make, and this investment can be an importantwealth-generator.Asset accumulation throughhomeownership can help break the cycle of poverty thattraps too many families and seniors.

Affordable ownership housing contributes strongly to ourneighbourhoods’ social and income mix. It also enablespeople to live closer to their jobs, reducing commutingtimes and reliance on motor vehicles.

The ability of workers to purchase an affordable home isfundamental to our City’s economy. It helps attract andretain a skilled labour force,which in turn makes the Citymore attractive to employers.

Renters who purchase homes also free up rental stock forothers.


Help People to Buy and Stay in Their Homes

“There is a substantialbody of evidence that

demonstrates the positiveeffects on society that

home ownership can havewith respect to quality oflife, health, educationoutcomes for children,

community pride and thereduction of poverty.”

Home Ownership AlternativesNon-Profit Corporation

Strategic Theme Seven

What we heard:

“While rental housing plays a critical

role in addressing Toronto’s affordable

housing challenges, ownership housing

can have distinct advantages including:

• helping to ensure long-term financial

security for low-income households by

allowing for asset-building and the

creation of equity;

• creating pride of ownership, which

promotes urban renewal and ultimately

benefits the entire community;

• helping to ensure rental vacancy rates

remain healthy by freeing up rental

units when rentersmake the jump to

ownership.”Maureen O’Neill, PresidentToronto Real Estate Board

Over the next 10 years, the City will strengthen itssupport to the housing industry to encourage moreopportunities for moderate-income working peoplewho need a stepping stone into homeownership.

A revised Housing Incentives (Municipal CapitalFacilities) Bylaw is planned to extend City incentives toaffordable ownership initiatives.Through this newbylaw, the City will support public interest partnershipswith non-profit and private sector affordable ownershipproponents.City incentives will reduce the price ofnew homes to make them affordable to qualified buyers.

Close to 1,000 families are being assisted as a result ofthe City’s participation in homeownership partnershipswithToronto Community Housing,Habitat for Humanity,the Sisters of Saint Joseph,Home OwnershipAlternatives and the Miziwe Biik AboriginalDevelopment Corporation.

These community partners use second mortgages tosecure the funding provided to purchasers, and protectit against windfall capital gains should purchaserschoose to sell their homes.However, there may beinstances in the future where the City wishes to createongoing affordability for ownership homes that receiveCity supports. For this reason the City is proposing toseek provincial authority to use a new covenant thatwould keep these homes affordable from one eligiblepurchaser to the next.

In an effort to keep new and resale homes affordable tobuyers,Toronto’s LandTransferTax rebate will continueto exempt home buyers for homes up to $400,000 invalue. This benefit is expected to assist some 15,000new households annually and cost the City about $40million in foregone revenue.

During the HOT Framework Consultations, participantsspoke of the financial hardships facing somehomeowners. These are seniors and people withdisabilities on fixed incomes who lack the funds tomake needed repairs and modifications as well as payrising energy and property tax bills.


Success Story:Habitat for Humanity

The City of Toronto haslong supported Habitat forHumanity and its missionto build affordableownership housing forlower income families.

Over the past eight years,Habitat for HumanityToronto has assisted 74families to become first-time home-owners.

To date, the City haspartnered with Habitat tomake available 11 surplusCity properties.

This successfulpartnership extends to theToronto Public Servicewhere more than 100 citystaff volunteered to takepart in Habitat forHumanity’s Rotary build of10 family homes on cityproperty at 38 St.Lawrence Street.

The City will continue to assist the 4,000low-income seniors and disabledhomeowners who receive relief through itsproperty tax increase and water feeprograms,while expanding the program tonew qualifying households over the next 10years.

Toronto will also continue its commitmentto the federal government to deliverfederally-funded programs that assist low-income homeowners, seniors and peoplewith disabilities with essential repairs andhome modifications needed to improveaccessibility.

Over the next decade, a minimum of 2,000households will be assisted, given currentprogram funding levels. Yet many more arein need and would qualify for assistancewere it available.

There is also a growing need to help low-income households with rising energy costsby assisting with renovations and retrofitsthat reduce energy use.The City willcontinue to seek to strengthen itspartnership with the federal and provincialgovernments to deliver much neededassistance.

City Actions:

52.Continue measures to improve theaffordability of new homes for low-and-moderate income home buyers by:

a. Extending the City’s partnerships onaffordable ownership housing initiatives,including the allocation of federal andprovincial funding.

b. Extending City incentives to affordablehomeownership initiatives through arevised Housing Incentives Bylaw.

c. MaintainingToronto’s LandTransferTaxRebate for first-time home buyers.

53. Support low-income homeowners,including seniors and persons withdisabilities to stay in their homes by:

a. Providing financial assistance to low-income and disabled homeowners toassist with home repairs andaccessibility modifications.

b. Providing property tax relief toqualifying low-income senior anddisabled homeowners.


54.The provincial and federal governmentscontinue to protect low-and-moderate-income purchasers from ownershiphousing cost increases throughmeasures like the harmonized sales taxrebate on new homes.

55.The provincial and federal governmentscontinue to provide funding forhomeownership as part of affordablehousing programs.

56.The Province provideToronto theoption of implementing statutorycovenants to secure ongoingaffordability where City benefits havebeen provided.

57.The federal government increasefunding to existing rehabilitationassistance programs to fully meet theneeds of lower-income homeowners forhome repairs and modifications.


How difficult will it be to find and keep decentand affordable housing inToronto in 10 years?The answer to this fundamental question in part

will depend on the success in implementing the HOTAction Plan.

While setting outToronto’s goals,HOT encourages andexpects to draw on the support and participation ofother governments, housing stakeholders and residents.

Most important, the Plan proposes to build upon thesolid legacy of federal, provincial and municipalinvestments that makeToronto such an attractive placeto live, play and call home.

At the start ofToronto’s 10-year Plan, the threegovernments combined are investing more than $1.4billion annually in homeless and housing supports andrelated services in the City.The job ahead is to renew,extend and expand these investments.

To do this,Toronto is calling on the federal andprovincial governments to recognize and act in concertwith the HOT Action Plan’s strategic themes, solutionsand targets when undertaking their own plans andinvestments in affordable housing.

Toronto is also calling on the federal and provincialgovernments to develop long-term sustainableaffordable housing plans of their own.

Experience over the past decade has demonstrated theimportance of federal re-engagement in issues affectinghomeless people and low-and-moderate incomeCanadians. New federal investments in affordablehousing are now paying dividends right across thecountry. Most important, the establishment of a nationalfunding framework continues to lever provincial-territorial investments and facilitate the implementationof local solutions.


Working Together

“In order to designefficient policies andprogrammes, federal,

provincial and territorialauthorities should workin close collaboration andcoordination and they

should commit stable andlong-term funding to acomprehensive nationalhousing strategy. Federal,provincial and territorialauthorities should also

collaborate withauthorities that are theclosest to the need of the

population such asmunicipal

authorities….”Miloon Kothari,United Nations Special RapporteurFebruary, 2009

Strategic Theme Eight

The stage is now set for Canada to joinmany other western countries byestablishing and funding a long-termnational affordable housing action plan ascalled for by the Federation of CanadianMunicipalities, the Canadian Housing andRenewal Association,Toronto City Counciland others.

Provincial leadership in homeless andaffordable housing issues is also a criticalcomponent of the solution. The provincialgovernment is responsible for fundingincome support programs, homelessnessand housing support services, as well asregulating and funding social housing.

Toronto is a strong supporter of thecreation of a province-wide affordablehousing strategy and this Action Plan willserve asToronto’s contribution to thedevelopment of Ontario’s strategy. Such astrategy must be long-term and providecertainty to the partners involved inimplementation and to the families andindividuals who are the beneficiaries.

To be effective, the provincial strategy mustcut across the full range of housing andhomeless programs operated and funded byOntario. The Province must movedecisively to consolidate programs andpolicies into a unified service at themunicipal level, as agreed to in the 2008Provincial-Municipal Fiscal and ServiceDelivery Review. This would start withaligning provincial housing programs andpolicies with the HOT Action Plan strategicthemes.

The provincial government must seize theopportunity to partner with the City ofToronto in the call for a national housing

strategy, as well as the reinvestment offederal funding within the existing socialhousing portfolio.

Both the federal and provincialgovernments must recognize theimportance of municipal participation inthe design of affordable housing policiesand programs. Such involvement willenhance local implementation and improveoutcomes.

The federal and provincial governments areencouraged to view investments inaffordable housing as powerful positivecontributors to the economy and in thepublic interest. Funding of affordablehousing stimulates economic activitywhich, in turn, generates tax revenue. Suchinvestment also results in major savings inemergency services to homeless people andthe poorly housed. It is time for allgovernments to determine these benefitsand make them public.

But it is not just about what governmentscan do. Everyone has a role to play – theprivate sector, non-profit and co-operativeorganizations, financial institutions, housingprofessionals and residents.

This Action Plan proposes that allgovernments work together whilechallenging all stakeholders and residentsto participate in the solutions. This is thebest way forward to a better housing futurefor everyone.


City Actions:

58.Monitor and report to City Council onthe implementation of HOT asappropriate, including update reports in2011, 2014 and 2019.

59.Create a working group of local housingstakeholders to assist in theimplementation of HOT strategies andrecommendations.

60.Continue to work with the federal andprovincial governments to shape theirown homeless and affordable housingpolicy and program decisions.

61.Develop a process, in co-operation withthe federal and provincial governments,to measure the qualitative andquantitative benefits of affordablehousing.

62. Partner with community organizations,labour groups, colleges and universitiesduring the housing construction periodto provide residents, particularly youth,with skill development, apprenticeshipand employment opportunities.


63.The provincial government implement afully-funded, long-term affordablehousing plan consistent with the City’sstrategic themes and targets.

64.The federal government commit tocreate a National Housing Strategy withpredictable, long-term funding foraffordable housing and homelessnessservices.

65.The provincial government work withthe City ofToronto and othermunicipalities to consolidate theexisting range of housing andhomelessness programs into one servicemanaged at the municipal level.

66.The provincial government support afull financial upload of all social housingoperating and capital costs.

67.The provincial and federal governmentsdirectly involve and consult themunicipal sector on homeless andaffordable housing issues, policies andprograms.


The HOT Action Plan starts with therecognition that the federal,provincial and City governments are

already making substantial investments tohelp people find and keep their homes.

Total government investments in housingand homeless programs inToronto,including directly delivered federal andprovincial housing income supports andother initiatives, exceeds $1.4 billionannually.

Likewise, other stakeholders, including theprivate, non-profit, co-operative andcharitable sectors,make very significantinvestments and contributions to thedelivery of housing to the people ofToronto.

While HOT is ambitious in its scope it hasalso set targets that are realistic whencompared to what is already beingachieved.

Acting on all five targets will assist some257,700 households or an estimated640,000Toronto residents.

The average annual additional cost ofachieving the five targets between 2010 and2020 is $484 million. An investment of thismagnitude is consistent with the annualspending proposed nationally in theFederation of Canadian Municipalities 2008National Action Plan on Housing andHomelessness.

In short, assisting 257,700 households over10 years requires a 35 per cent increaseover 2009 levels of government funding forhomeless, housing and housing-relatedincome supports inToronto.

The estimate has not attempted to reflectthe positive economic, environmental,neighbourhood or personal gains fromproposed investments.Nor does it take intoaccount increased federal and provincialtax revenues derived from housinginvestments and employment creation.

While the City is well positioned tofacilitate action across the full range ofrecommendations and provide targetedincentives and support, implementation ofHOT will require the renewal of programs,the reinvestment of expiring funding andnew financial commitments from both thefederal and provincial governments.

In some instances, cost savings orinnovations may provide opportunities tofree up funding for new investment.

There are also opportunities with publicand private sector housing partners seekingto do business more cost-effectivelythrough energy savings and improvedbusiness practices.

Implementation of the majority of actionsset out in this Plan will begin during thefirst two years. Some initiatives, such asMayor’sTower Renewal, the Multi-Residential Apartment Building Strategy andtheToronto LandTransferTax Rebateprogram, are already underway and willneed to be continued or expanded over thelife of the Plan. Others will be introduced


HOT Targets - 2010 to 2020

as funding and policy decisions are made bythe federal and provincial governments.

HOT establishes priorities for the allocationof housing investments by all orders ofgovernment inToronto over the nextdecade.

Progress reports on the implementation ofthe Action Plan, including the achievementof the five targets,will be provided in 2011,2014 and 2019.


TargetAverage

Annual Cost

1) Assist 10,700 households by increasing the amount of supportive housing

$59.3 million

2) Help 70,000 households with high rent burdens by creating new affordable housing opportunities

$161.7 million

3) Improve housing for 120,000 households by repairing and revitalizing Toronto’s rental housing stock, including all of Toronto’s 90,000 units of social housing

$99.2 million

4) Assist 10,000 households through the creation of new affordable rental homes

$148.0 million

5) Help 47,000 households to remain in their home or purchase one by reducing the cost of ownership for low income home-owners and moderate income renters

$15.5 million

TOTAL – 257,700 households $483.7 million

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Create Housing Opportunities inAll Neighbourhoods

City Actions

1. Approve theToronto Housing Charterthat affirms the opportunity for allresidents to have a safe, secure,affordable and well-maintained homefrom which to realize their fullpotential,without discrimination.

2. Support Councillors to take a leadershiprole addressing affordable housingissues in their wards by providing GoodHomes-Good Neighbours, a Councillor’sguide to affordable housing.

3. Work with partners to undertake publiceducation initiatives highlighting theToronto Housing Charter.

4. Examine bringing forward a bylaw thatstrengthens the City’s response tohousing discrimination.

Help Homeless and VulnerablePeople Find and Keep Homes

City Actions

5. ExpandToronto’s Housing Firstapproach to help people living on thestreet or in shelters find permanentaffordable housing by:

a. Continuing to work toward Council’sgoal of ending street homelessnessthrough the implementation of theenhanced Streets to Homes program.

b. Working with the Province to establisha permanent program using flexibleshelter per diem funding to provideshelter clients with housing supports in

the community, similar to the Hostels toHomes pilot.

c. Working with the Province toimplement a new funding model forshelters that supports a Housing Firstapproach.

d. Redeveloping selected emergencyshelter sites into a combination ofinnovative long-term care, health care,supportive and affordable housing andemergency shelter programs.

6. Co-ordinate and provide supports andhousing to ensure homeless andvulnerable people are able to keep theirhomes by:

a. Allocating funding to communityprograms and services which helppeople find and keep homes.

b. Advocating to the provincial and federalgovernments to provide increasedfunding to enhance housing supportsavailable to vulnerable tenants in privatemarket and social housing communities.

7. Expand alternative, supportive andinterim housing for formerly homelessand vulnerable people by:

a. Developing new interim housing unitsfor people housed from shelters andclients of the Streets to Homes program

b. Replenishing the Mayor’s HomelessnessInitiative Fund to support developmentof supportive and interim housing.

8. Support the acquisition and renovationof residential apartment and similarbuildings such as single roomoccupancy (SRO) hotels to provide


Appendix A: Consolidated Actions

sustainable, affordable rental homes by:

a. Providing funding for theredevelopment of SRO hotels as interimand supportive housing for peopleleaving shelters and Streets to Homesprogram clients.

b. Encouraging acquisition/renovation ofprivately-owned apartment buildings,legal rooming houses and SRO hotels asan eligible option under futureprograms for affordable housingdevelopment.

9. Address future supportive/alternativehousing needs for vulnerable andformerly homeless people with mentalhealth and daily living challenges by:

a. Working in partnership with the MentalHealth Commission of Canada andhousing providers to implement anddevelop further evidence for successfulhousing program models for individualswith mental health issues.

b. Identifying effective practices and gapsin existing supportive/alternativehousing for clients with complex needs.

c. Working with the provincialgovernment to ensure that mentalhealth supportive housing options areintegrated into the housing andhomelessness service system.

10. Address the housing issues facingAboriginal people who are homeless by:

a. Allocating funds to support thedevelopment ofAboriginal-specifichousing options.

b. Developing partnerships with andsupporting the delivery of housing supportservices byAboriginal-specific agencies.

11.Develop strategies to help seniors liveindependently in existing social andrental housing by:

a. Creating new models of housing andsupports and long-term care forvulnerable and formerly homelessseniors with complex needs.

b. Assisting seniors in social and rentalhousing to live independently.

c. Redeveloping long-term care facilities intoCampuses of Care that promote healthyaging in place with a range of housing,health and social service options in asingle location.

12.Use the Street Needs Assessment andother research to help guide futureaffordable housing strategies by:

a. Conducting a Street NeedsAssessmentevery three years,with the next to occurin 2012.

b. Analyzing available data to identify changesand evidence for future service needs.


13. The provincial government use aHousing First approach to deliverfunding and services to vulnerable andhomeless people, including reinvestingsavings achieved by this approach fromother areas, such as health, immigration,corrections and emergency services.

14. The provincial government implement anew funding model for shelters whichsupports a Housing First approach andprovide flexibility in the use of shelterfunding to establish a permanentprogram to provide shelter clients withhousing supports in the community,similar to the Hostels to Homes pilot.


15. The provincial government increasefunding for mental health supportivehousing and housing with supportsoptions and that these be integrated intothe existing housing and homelessnessservice system.

16. The provincial government increasefunding for housing supports,HousingHelp Centres and Drop-in Centres.

17. The provincial government increasefunding for supportive housing optionsfor vulnerable seniors.

18. The federal government, at a minimum,double and make permanent funding toaddress homelessness.

19. The federal government increasefunding and revise criteria for programsthat help landlords repair and adaptrental housing for seniors and othervulnerable people.

Assist Families andIndividuals to Afford Rents

City Actions:

20.Keep tenants housed through evictionprevention and education by:

a. Funding Housing Help Centres toprovide housing assistance to at-riskhouseholds.

b. Administering the provincially-fundedRent Bank program which helps at-riskhouseholds avoid eviction throughshort-term, interest free loans.

c. Providing funding to drop-in centres toprovide food and other practicalsupports that promote housing stability.

21. Support the development of skillstraining opportunities, employmentcreation initiatives and community

economic development for socialhousing tenants, shelter users, streetinvolved and recently housed homelesspeople by:

a. Expanding specialized employabilityassessment and counselling supports.

b. Facilitating access to skills training,work preparation options andeducational opportunities withspecialized accommodations andsupports.

c. Working with the business community,non-profit organizations andgovernment to develop transitionalwork programs and to brokeremployment opportunities withappropriate supports for individualswho require a staged re-entry to theworkforce.

d. Continuing to support the developmentof social purpose enterprises thatprovide supported work placement andemployment opportunities.

22.Transform the social housing waiting listinto a proactive social housing accesssystem by:

a. Leading a comprehensive review toexplore how to improve service toclients,more effectively matchapplicants with units, and provide fairand efficient access to housing for themost vulnerable.

b. Implementing identifiedrecommendations and advocating forthe changes to provincial legislation thatare required in order to create aneffective, responsive and customer-oriented waiting list system.



23.The provincial government assist low-income residents through sustainableincreased funding for rent supplements,housing allowances, and/or othershelter benefits.

24.The provincial and federal governmentscontinue to fund housing allowance andrent supplement programs, in particularthose which are set to expire.

25.The federal and provincial governmentsprovide municipalities greater authorityunder a more flexible legislativeframework to make local decisionsabout social housing.

26.The provincial government annuallyincrease and adjust social assistancerates to reflect current living standardsand to include a shelter componentmaximum equal to 100 per cent of themedian market rent for each localhousing market, based on annualstatistics collected by the CanadaMortgage and Housing Corporation.

27.The provincial and federal governmentsincrease access to EmploymentInsurance, child benefit programs andother benefits for the working poor.

Preserve and Repair RentalHousing

City Actions:

28. Ensure that the existing social housingstock achieves and maintains a state ofgood repair by:

a. Supporting the efforts ofTorontoCommunity Housing to implement itsReal Estate Asset Investment Strategy.

b. Working with non-profit and co-operative housing operators to improvetheir financial capacity to respond tostate of good repair needs and maintaintheir buildings.

29. Strengthen the more than 250 non-profit and co-operative housingproviders to make them even moreeffective partners in delivering andmaintaining social housing communitiesby:

a. Encouraging the federal and provincialgovernments to invest in strategies toensure that social housing providers areable to attract and keep qualifiedvolunteer board members and staff.

b. Working with social housing sectororganizations to seek opportunities forcollaborations and mergers.

c. Working with social housing sectororganizations to develop training tostrengthen the capacity of housingprovider boards and staff.

30. Ensure existing affordable rentalhousing is preserved by:

a. Establishing an ‘abandoned buildingprotocol’ designed to identify andprovide solutions where rental buildingsare deliberately left vacant.


b. Consistently applying the Official Planhousing policies and the City’sconversion and demolition bylaw toprevent the loss of rental housing whenproperty owners apply for Cityapprovals.

31. Preserve and expand the supply ofaffordable housing available to singlepersons by:

a. Encouraging and permitting an increasein legal,well run rooming houses andother appropriate forms of housingwhere current zoning by-laws allow, andsubject to any future changes to thezoning by-law.

b. Providing training and other supports tolandlords and operators to assist themto improve and maintain the roominghouse stock.

32. Promote the repair and retrofit ofhomes in the public and private rentalsector by:

a. Expanding Mayor’sTower Renewalbased on the recommendationsemerging from the pilot projects.

b. Ensuring the existing private rentalstock is maintained in good repairthrough a permanent proactive strategyprogram, such as the Multi-ResidentialApartment Building Strategy.

c. Working with social and private housingproviders to promote fire safety,including the development of homeescape plans and the maintenance ofworking smoke alarms.


33.The federal government re-invest thesavings arising from the expiration ofcurrent agreements back into socialhousing.

34.The federal and provincial governmentsprovide ongoing and sustainablefunding to ensure the social housingstock achieves and maintains a state ofgood repair.

35.The provincial government increase thecap on rent scales for social assistancerecipients in rent-geared-to-incomehousing to match the maximum shelterallowances provided by Ontario Worksand the Ontario Disability SupportProgram.

36.The federal and provincial governmentsfacilitate the redevelopment andrefinancing of social housing byamending regulations which limitinnovation in leveraging the use ofsocial housing assets for investments inbuilding repairs, expansions and energyretrofits.

37.The federal and provincial governmentsimplement the recommendations fromthe report,Tied in Knots:Unlocking thePotential of Social Housing, approved byCity Council in December 2007.

38.The federal and provincial governmentsincrease funding for private-sectorrental repair and energy retrofitprograms while ensuring rents remainaffordable.


Revitalize Neighbourhoods

City Actions:

39. SupportToronto Community Housing inthe completion of the Regent Parkrevitalization by:

a. Facilitating City approvals andcoordinating City actions.

b. Providing incentives,where appropriate,to support the redevelopment of theexisting community.

40. Support and participate in therevitalization of 13 social housingcommunities, starting with LawrenceHeights, as part ofToronto CommunityHousing’s 10-year Real Estate AssetInvestment Strategy by:


b. Providing City incentives,whereappropriate, to support theredevelopment of the existingcommunities.

41. Support and participate in therevitalization ofToronto’s waterfront,including the creation of 2,400affordable rental homes in the West DonLands and East Bayfront by:


b. Providing City incentives,whereappropriate, to support thedevelopment of the new communities.

42.Use planning tools to create affordablehousing in mixed income, inclusivecommunities by:

a. Adopting an Official Plan amendmentrequiring more family-sized housingwithin the downtown area.

b. Prioritizing the use of the Official Planhousing policies for large sites and newneighbourhoods to secure affordablehousing as part of the planning approvalprocess, and the use of Section 37 of thePlanning Act to obtain contributions foraffordable housing from otherresidential developments where densityand/or height is increased.


43.The federal and provincial governmentsparticipate as funding partners in city-identified neighbourhood revitalizationprojects, including future phases ofRegent Park, Lawrence Heights andother social housing initiatives.

44.The federal and provincial governmentsparticipate as funding partners toachieve affordable housing targets inrevitalization projects such as theWaterfront and shelter redevelopment.

45.The provincial government provideToronto with new powers to implementan inclusionary housing program andtax increment financing to increaseaffordable housing opportunities in newdevelopments.

Create New AffordableRental Homes

City Actions:

46. Support the development of 1,000 newaffordable rental homes annually overthe next 10 years in co-operation withprivate, non-profit and co-operativehousing partners by:

a. Delivering larger per unit fundingamounts available through the newAffordable Housing Initiative.


b. Allocating new funding secured throughthe Development Charges Bylaw toaffordable housing initiatives.

c. Extending City incentives to createaffordable housing within mixed usedevelopments and withincondominiums through a revisedHousing Incentives (Municipal CapitalFacilities) Bylaw with consideration ofmeasures that ensure affordability,stability and security for future residents.

d. Encouraging the provision of affordablehousing opportunities through theplanning approvals process.

e. Replenishing the Capital Revolving Fundto support affordable housing initiatives.

f. Providing new affordable housingdevelopments with additional provincialrent supplement funding, as available.

47. Prioritize the allocation of affordablehousing program funding for:

a. Program-ready initiatives on public sitesbeing developed by proponents such asBuildToronto,Toronto CommunityHousing and WaterfrontToronto.

b. Initiatives to support the redevelopmentof selected emergency shelter sites andthe acquisition of SRO hotels.

c. Proposals that deliver a range of housingtypes and rent levels, especially to meetthe needs of lower-income residents,people with disabilities, families andfamilies with children with disabilities.

d. Affordable housing proposals thatsecure the affordability of units forlonger terms (e.g.more than 20 years).

e. Non-profit and non-profit co-operativehousing providers because they providelong-term affordability and stability forresidents.

48.Attract and retain artists and othercreative workers inToronto by:

a. Encouraging the creation of affordablecommercial live/work studios to fosterthe development of CreativeToronto.

b. Working with providers of affordablehousing to increase the amount of spaceavailable to artists.

c. Working with providers of affordablehousing to ensure that small non-profitcommercial space be created alongside orintegrated into new projects to increasebusiness opportunities and renew streamsfor housing projects and residents.

49. Ensure that new affordable housingdevelopment supports the City’s climatechange strategy by:

a. Requiring all affordable housingproposals to achieve the minimumbuilding sustainability and energyefficiency requirements set out in theToronto Green Standards

b. Giving priority to affordable housingproposals that exceed the minimumrequirements under theToronto GreenStandards


50.The provincial government provide newrent supplements on an annual basis tocreate“truly affordable rents” forresidents in new affordable housingdevelopments who earn low wages orreceive social assistance.

51.The federal and provincial governmentsprovide stable, long-term affordablehousing funding and access to surplusproperties to properly meet the needsofTorontonians.


Help People Buyand Stay in Their Homes

City Actions:

52.Continue measures to improve theaffordability of new homes for low-and-moderate income home buyers by:

a. Extending the City’s partnerships onaffordable ownership housing initiatives,including the allocation of federal andprovincial funding.

b. Extending City incentives to affordablehomeownership initiatives through arevised Housing Incentives Bylaw.

c. MaintainingToronto’s LandTransferTaxRebate for first-time home buyers.

53. Support low-income homeowners,including seniors and persons withdisabilities to stay in their homes by:

a. Providing financial assistance to low-income and disabled homeowners toassist with home repairs andaccessibility modifications.

b. Providing property tax relief toqualifying low-income senior anddisabled homeowners.


54.The provincial and federal governmentscontinue to protect low-and-moderate-income purchasers from ownershiphousing cost increases throughmeasures like the harmonized sales taxrebate on new homes.

55.The provincial and federal governmentscontinue to provide funding forhomeownership as part of affordablehousing programs.

56.The Province provideToronto theoption of implementing statutorycovenants to secure ongoingaffordability where City benefits havebeen provided.

57.The federal government increasefunding to existing rehabilitationassistance programs to fully meet theneeds of lower-income homeowners forhome repairs and modifications.

Working Together

City Actions:

58.Monitor and report to City Council onthe implementation of HOT asappropriate, including update reports in2011, 2014 and 2019.

59.Create a working group of local housingstakeholders to assist in theimplementation of HOT strategies andrecommendations.

60.Continue to work with the federal andprovincial governments to shape theirown homeless and affordable housingpolicy and program decisions.

61.Develop a process, in co-operation withthe federal and provincial governments,to measure the qualitative andquantitative benefits of affordablehousing.

62. Partner with community organizations,labour groups, colleges and universitiesduring the housing construction periodto provide residents, particularly youth,with skill development, apprenticeshipand employment opportunities.



63.The provincial government implement afully-funded, long-term affordablehousing plan consistent with the City’sstrategic themes and targets.

64.The federal government commit tocreate a National Housing Strategy withpredictable, long-term funding foraffordable housing and homelessnessservices.

65.The provincial government work withthe City ofToronto and othermunicipalities to consolidate theexisting range of housing andhomelessness programs into one servicemanaged at the municipal level.

66.The provincial government support afull financial upload of all social housingoperating and capital costs.

67.The provincial and federal governmentsdirectly involve and consult themunicipal sector on homeless andaffordable housing issues, policies andprograms.



Appendix B: Preliminary Cost Estimates by Households Assisted

1) Assist 10,700 households by increasing the amount of supportive housing

Average Annual CostTarget Component

10-year Outcome Capital Operating Total

• Supportive/interim housing for formerly homeless individuals

1,300 units $15.6 M $2.5M $18.1 M

• Shelter redevelopment 700 units $7.0 M - $7.0 M

• Housing supports for vulnerable people in social and rental housing

4,000 units - $7.7M $7.7 M

• Mental health supportive housing

2,000 units - $14.1 M $14.1 M

• Seniors assisted living housing 2,700 units $7.2 M $5.2 M $12.4 M

Target 1 Total10,700

households$29.8 M $29.5* $59.3 M

*Average of phased in costs over 10 years – $53.6 M annually after year 10

2) Help 70,000 households with high rent burdens by creating new affordable housing opportunities



• Create new rent supplements, housing allowances and/or shelter benefits

70,000 households

- $161.7 M $161.7 M


households- $161.7 M* $161.7 M

*Based on a three year phase in – $294 M annually after year 10

3) Improve housing for 120,000 households by repairing and revitalizing Toronto’s rental housing stock, including all of Toronto’s 90,000 units of social housing



• Revitalization of TCHC communities

60,000 units $35.2 M - $35.2 M

• Revitalization of other non-profit housing stock

30,000 units $34.0 M - $34.0 M

• State-of-good repair incentives/enforcement inprivate rental stock

30,000 units $30.0 M - $30.0 M


households$99.2 M - $99.2 M


4) Assist 10,000 households through the creation of new affordable rental homes



• Create new affordable rental homes

10,000 units $140.0 M - $140.0 M

• Rent supplements for 20% of new rental homes*

2,000 units - $8.0M** $8.0 M


households$140.0 M $8.0 M $148.0 M

*This is an additional cost within a portion of the 10,000 new units**Average of phased in costs over 10 years – $16 M annually after year 10

5) Help 47,000 households to remain in their home or purchase one by reducing the cost of ownership for low-income homeowners and moderate-income renters



• Property tax cancellation/deferrals for eligible senior/ disabled homeowners

40,000 households

- $1.0 M $1.0 M

• Home repair assistance for eligible homeowners

5,000 households

$6.5 M - $6.5 M

• Create new affordable ownership homes

2,000 units $8.0 M - $8.0 M


households $14.5 M $1.0 M $15.5 M

Grand Total of Targets 1 – 5



TOTAL – All Targets257,700

households$283.5 M $200.2 M* $483.7 M

*NOTE: Ongoing operating cost after year 10 is $363.6 M

Thank you to all the individuals andorganizations who contributed their timeand expertise to the creation ofToronto’sAffordable Housing Action Plan. In total,more than 1,800 residents andorganizations participated.

The HOT framework was released inNovember 2007 and guided consultationswith residents, vulnerable populations,stakeholders and organizations throughout2008.

Consultations included: expert forums,public meetings, targeted stakeholderworkshops, committee deputations andwritten submissions. Input was alsoreceived through a dedicated e-mail addressand regular mail.

As well, 23 organizations and groupsconsulted with vulnerable client groupssuch as victims of domestic abuse, youth,homeless people, incarcerated men andwomen, seniors, people with disabilitiesand newcomers.To support these outreachefforts, the City provided modest financialassistance.

Consultation sessions included:

Tale of Three Cities – On June 28, 2007,the City hosted a preliminary public forumwith affordable housing experts fromVancouver,Ottawa and Montreal sharingtheir expertise with City staff, stakeholdersand the public.

Affordable Housing: Finding Solutions– A public forum held at the St. LawrenceCentre November 28, 2007 includedpanelists and participants sharing ideas andsolutions on affordable housing.

Stakeholder Session – A full-day multi-sector session took place April 26, 2008 atMetro Hall with housing advocates andother stakeholders participating in a seriesof workshops on key policy areas.

Public meetings – Held at theScarborough,NorthYork and EtobicokeCivic Centres on May 14,May 28 and June 6respectively.

Provincial Consultation –Representatives from the Ministry ofMunicipal Affairs and Housing,Ministry ofHealth and Long-Term Care,Ministry ofCommunity Safety and CorrectionalServices,Ministry of Community and SocialServices,Ministry of Energy andInfrastructure,Ministry of the Environmentand Ministry of Children andYouth Servicesmet with the City on June 13, 2008.

Affordable Housing Committee – Some30 members of the public and organizationsmade deputations at the June 16 committeemeeting.

Unleashing the Power of AffordableHousing: An International Forum –TheCity hosted an international public forumon September 29, 2008 at St. Lawrence Hallduring which experts from Ireland, Englandand the U.S. brought an internationalperspective to the framework.


Appendix C: Consultations

Organizations whichHosted HOT Consultations

Bloorview Kids Rehab

Breakaway

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Community Social Planning Council ofToronto

Ethno-Racial People with DisabilitiesCoalition of Ontario (ERDCO)

John Howard Society ofToronto

Margaret Frazer House

Midaynta Community Services

Northwood Neighbourhood Services

St.Clair West Services For Seniors

St.Clare’s Multifaith Housing Society

St. Stephen’s Community House

St. Stephen’s Community House /TorontoDrop-In Network

The DreamTeam

The Elizabeth Fry Society ofToronto

Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office

Toronto Culture for Artist AffordableHousing Stakeholders

Voices From the Street

Warden Woods Community Centre

Wellesley Institute

West Coalition on Housing andHomelessness

WoodGreen Community Services

Yonge Street Mission

Yorktown Shelter for Women

Young Parents No Fixed Address


Written deputations to the June16, 2008 Affordable HousingCommittee:Abandonment Issues

Artscape

Bev Agar

Allergy and Environmental HealthAssociation – Ottawa

CARP

Catholic Children’s Aid Society ofToronto

Children’s Aid Society ofToronto

Community Social Planning Council ofToronto

GreaterToronto Apartment Association

Habitat for HumanityToronto

Habitat Services

Jon Harstone

HomeComing Community Choice Coalition

Homelessness Action Group

Homefree Non-Profit Corporation

Home Ownership Alternatives Non-ProfitCorporation

Immigrant and Refugee Housing Committee

ParkdaleTenants Association/ParkdaleCommunity Legal Services

Eliana Roman

Rooming House Working Group

Save Our Structures (SOS)

The Salvation Army Ontario Central-EastDivision

The DreamTeam

Toronto ACORN

Toronto Christian Resource Centre

Toronto Real Estate Board

Toronto Women’s Housing Co-op

Wellesley Institute


Other Submissions and Sources:Sherry Adams

Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada/ Co-operative Housing Federation ofToronto

Davenport Perth Neighbourhood Centre

GreaterToronto Apartment Association

HomeComing Community Choice Coalition

Home Ownership Alternatives Non-ProfitCorporation

Immigrant and Refugee HousingTask Group

Institute for Life Course and Aging

Sue Kelleher

Bob McElhinney

Mayor’s Roundtable on Seniors (2006HousingToronto’s Seniors report)

Nishnawbe Homes,Miziwe Biik AboriginalEmployment andTraining andTorontoCouncil Fire (GreaterToronto AreaAboriginal Housing Consultation)

Options for Homes Non-Profit Corporation

Ellen Pickett

Rental Housing Advisory Committee

Linda Sepp

M. Sylvestre

Women’s College Hospital


As part of its Real Estate Asset Investment Strategy,Toronto Community Housing isproposing to revitalize the following 13 social housing communities:

Lawrence Heights

Allenbury Gardens

Alexandra Park

Edgeley Village

Firgrove Crescent

Flemingdon Park

Kingston Rd (3190)

Leslie Nymark

O’Conner Drive

Sheppard Magellan

Thistletown 1 & 2

Vic Park Chester Le

Yorkwoods Village


Appendix D: Toronto Community Housing13 Revitalization Communities

housing opportunities toronto

Documents

housing demand

housing needs

housing opportunitiesin

housing results

stable housing

permanent housing

power of affordable

toprovide affordable