City of Toronto Opens 84 New Affordable Homes to Combat Housing Shortage and Homelessness

Today, Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park), Chair of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee, was joined by the Councillor for Beaches-East York and Chair of the Planning & Housing Committee, as well as Patricia Mueller, CEO of Homes First Society of the City of Toronto, announced the opening of 84 new deeply affordable and supportive homes at 222 Spadina Ave. The move addresses the severe shortage of affordable housing across Canada, particularly in the country’s largest city, Toronto.

The new homes will be made available to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and operated by a non-profit housing organization, Homes First Society. The organization will provide 24/7 onsite support services, including housing stability services, a food program, clinical support, life skills training and various community-based programs.

Residents will pay no more than 30 percent of their income towards rent. In addition to good quality, secure and affordable homes, they will have access to a range of wraparound support services to improve their overall housing and health outcomes.

The project was made possible through a partnership between the federal, provincial and municipal governments, with the federal government providing capital funding under Phase 1 of the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI), and the province committing to providing operating funding to deliver a range of wraparound support services.

The City invested capital funding and financial incentives to support the delivery of the site and ensure long-term affordability, including a waiver of fees and an exemption from property taxes for 99 years. The project received over $440 million from RHI Phase 1 and 2 to create almost 1,100 new affordable supportive homes for Toronto residents in need.

According to Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie, the City of Toronto is committed to creating affordable and supportive housing for residents as quickly as possible. She expressed her gratitude to the federal and provincial governments for their ongoing commitments to creating affordable and supportive housing in Toronto.

She also highlighted that over 100 affordable housing projects are in the City’s development pipeline led or supported by the City. Once completed, these projects will provide more than 20,000 affordable rental and supportive homes.

The opening of 84 new deeply affordable and supportive homes at 222 Spadina Ave. is a significant step towards addressing the shortage of affordable housing in Toronto and across Canada. However, there remains a continued need for affordable housing, and more action is needed to ensure that everyone has access to a safe, secure, and affordable place to call home.

Image source, McKelvie Twitter Feed