New Initiatives in Ana Bailão’s Housing Plan
Putting People First: Support for Vulnerable Residents
- Double the number of modular supportive homes built in Toronto to create long-term pathways out of homelessness with a 10 year target of 1000 homes.
- Invest $5 million to expand the Dufferin Grove Park Pilot Project city-wide to support persons living outside.
- Invest $5 million to assist non-profit and charitable shelter operators with employee retention and attraction in their post-pandemic recovery.
- Direct $5 million for rental assistance for women and gender-diverse people escaping domestic violence to receive immediate safe and secure housing.
- Hold the federal government accountable for their financial responsibility to support refugees and newcomers in Toronto.
Putting People First: Protecting Renters and Affordable Homes
- Strengthen the full range of eviction prevention programs - including tripling the City’s existing Rent Bank to $15 million annually.
- Invest $3.5 million to fund and expand the City’s Specialized Program for Interdivisional Enhanced Responsiveness to Vulnerability (SPIDER) Program, supporting six times more people to make their homes safer and healthier.
- Temporarily freezing new proposals that would demolish rental apartment buildings while undertaking a comprehensive city-wide review to provide greater predictability.
- Invest $10 million to establish a specialized Anti-Displacement and Evictions Prevention Unit with 30 staff within Municipal Licensing & Standards.
- Defend Toronto’s regulatory authority to control the demolition and conversion of rental housing.
Building Homes
- With the City’s pledge to build 285,000 homes by 2031, set a target of 20% - a minimum of 57,000 homes - to be purpose-built rental homes.
- For approved Housing Now projects proponents will be required to have a building permit by June 27th 2024 and have started construction no later than December 31st 2024. Should these conditions not be met, the City will reserve the right to cancel funding approvals and re-tender the site.
- Invest $10 million to speed up construction readiness for non-profit and co-op organizations’ pre-development activities, and leverage matching funding from CMHC.
- Making additional surplus municipal properties available for non-profit and co-operative housing available to build new affordable homes.
- Foster a safe, healthy and vibrant building sector through support for skilled trades and new apprenticeship opportunities.
- Push the provincial government to give Toronto authority to approve development on sites zoned for rental housing.
Getting City Hall Moving
- Hold City Hall accountable and instruct the City Manager to publish public semi-annual updates tracking our progress on housing commitments.
- Champion reforms to planning regulations, zoning and land use to get homes built with a focus on “missing middle” housing of medium scale and density that meets the needs of residents between condos and single-family homes.
- Lead a Mayor’s initiative on residential intensification to develop incentives and launch new policies to support the delivery of 285,000 new homes by 2031.
Housing Plan - Costing for New Initiatives
The total cost of this Plan’s new initiatives is $48.5 million which will come from the City Building Fund which is forecast to generate an additional $60 million this year.
- $3.5 million for SPIDER Program
- $5 million for non-profit and charity shelter employee retention and attraction
- $5 million for support for residents experiencing gender-based violence
- $5 million to expand the Dufferin Grove model city-wide
- $10 million to fight evictions with Anti-Displacement Task Force
- $10 million to triple the funding for the Rent Bank
- $10 million to support non-profit and co-op organizations with pre-development activities to build new housing