| 140353 | REPORT | N | N | MAIN | ACTION | AMENDED | — | N | — | Toronto Builds - A Policy Framework to Build More Affordable Rental Homes on Public Land | 2025.PH21.4 | — | Y | Y | Y | Y | <p>Toronto is facing an evolving housing crisis, impacting housing affordability for low-income, vulnerable residents including people experiencing homelessness, as well as key workers and middle-income earners. In recent years, City Council has taken significant action on housing, notably approving a whole-of-government response and range of strategic, program, and policy directions through <a href="https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.EX9.3">Item EX9.3 - Advancing a Generational Transformation of Toronto's Housing System to Urgently Build More Affordable Homes</a>. City Council also increased the HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan (“HousingTO Plan") target to approve 65,000 rent-controlled homes (comprised of 6,500 rent-geared-to-income (RGI), 41,000 affordable rental and 17,500 rent-controlled market homes) by 2030.</p>
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<p>Effectively mobilizing the public land is necessary to achieve the targets in the HousingTO Plan. Through EX9.3, City Council identified almost 100 sites owned by the City or its Agencies and/or Corporations (hereafter referred to as “City lands” or “City sites”) that are ready to be mobilized to build new homes, or show potential as housing development sites subject to due diligence. This report proposes a new policy framework to guide the development of a range of new rental homes within mixed-income communities on City land (the “Toronto Builds Policy Framework”). Through this Framework, a set of policy requirements and targets will be established to harmonize a range of existing City programs and ensure Council’s housing priorities including to deliver rent-geared-to-income, affordable, and rent-controlled homes, are realized on City land. To support alignment across City Divisions, Agencies, and Corporations, this report requests the Board of CreateTO and Board of TCHC to consider the Toronto Builds Policy Framework when advancing housing developments on public land, including new developments and revitalization projects.</p>
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<p>Historically, the development of City land for affordable housing has been facilitated through different programs such as Housing Now, the Modular Housing Initiative, ModernTO, the City-wide Real Estate Program, TCHC Revitalizations, the public developer model, and through tri-government investment in waterfront revitalization.</p>
<p>These programs have included a wide variety of eligibility criteria and requirements, leading to inconsistency and a lack of clarity in direction when City land is mobilized for housing. The Toronto Builds Policy Framework responds to this need for greater consistency by:</p>
<p>· Establishing a harmonized policy framework when delivering a range of housing on City land, whether the projects are advanced through City Divisions, CreateTO, or TCHC, including with private sector or non-profit organizations as developers and/or operators;</p>
<p>· Providing flexibility that responds to challenging market conditions which vary across Toronto and impact the financial viability of new affordable housing developments;</p>
<p>· Ensuring housing developments on City land continue to create mixed-income and complete communities while prioritizing delivery of a range of rental homes (including rent-geared-to-income, affordable, rent-controlled and market rental homes); and</p>
<p>· Creating a foundation for future intergovernmental partnership focussed on mobilizing public land for housing, and a call to action to federal and provincial governments to join the City in responding to the housing crisis through a tri-government Canada-Ontario-Toronto Builds program.</p>
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<p>As detailed in this report, the Toronto Builds Policy Framework establishes policies in 12 key areas to guide the development of new housing on City land. The proposed framework is built on lessons learned through difficult economic conditions since 2020 that have reduced the financial viability of new affordable housing developments. The Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services will report to City Council by Q3 2025 with a proposed program delivery and governance approach that provides additional information for Council on the implementation of the framework outlined in this report. This will include updates on a Master Services Agreement between the City and TCHC and CreateTO, respectively, and on the creation of the new Housing Development Office.</p>
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<p>Subject to City Council approval, and consideration by the relevant City Agencies and Corporations, the Toronto Builds Policy Framework will be applied to all housing projects on City land listed in Attachment 1 to this report (each being referred to as a “Toronto Builds Project”). This report authorizes relevant City staff to add or remove sites from the Toronto Builds Portfolio as a result of ongoing due diligence on potential housing projects. It also directs staff to first consider inclusion of new housing development opportunities in the framework when assessing City real estate, including where there may be co-location opportunities with other uses such as recreation centres, community amenities, or shelters.</p>
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<p>This new policy framework will apply on a go forward basis, maintaining existing direction for housing sites where a market offering has completed or development agreements have been signed. This report also requests Council authority to release three development sites under the Toronto Builds Policy Framework in 2025 through a market offering process. These projects will create approximately 1,523 new rental homes, including 503 affordable rental homes, at 970 Kipling Ave (Bloor-Kipling Block 5), 158 Borough Dr., and 931 Yonge St. Additional information and authorities to deliver future Toronto Builds sites will be provided in the Q3 governance and delivery report to Council.</p>
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<p>Achieving Toronto’s ambitious housing supply targets requires a whole of government and whole of community approach. This report demonstrates the importance of partnerships across public sector organizations as it recommends the City enter into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Toronto District School Board, as represented by its Manager and Agent, Toronto Lands Corporation to support the redevelopment of up to eight potential housing sites that could deliver over 10,000 new rental homes, including 2,100 affordable rental homes. This MOU will advance shared priorities of the City and TDSB in leveraging public land, including existing TDSB properties, for mixed-use redevelopment, to create mutually beneficial solutions that build more rental homes and new schools along with enhancing community services and amenities.</p>
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<p>This report also reiterates Council’s previous requests that the federal and provincial governments join the City in a Canada-Ontario-Toronto Builds program that would align public land, funding, financing, partnerships, and approval processes to build more rental homes affordable to a range of residents. The Toronto Builds Policy Framework lays the foundation for this proposed partnership and demonstrates the City’s leadership in readying its lands through a flexible framework that can be enhanced by participation from provincial and federal partners.</p> | 21 | 4 | CMMTTEE | PH | All | N | 1747800000000 | … | Report | ACTION | Amended | Main | — | — | Committee | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | — | … | ACTION | true | Amended | — | … | … | … | … | — |