In response to the ongoing housing crisis in the city, Toronto City Council has approved three new staff-recommended initiatives - including Purpose-built Rental Housing Incentives and the Rental Renovation Licence Bylaw - to help increase housing supply, housing choices and affordability for current and future residents.

 Torontonians continue to grapple with the rising cost of housing made worse by the severe shortage of rental homes, lack of housing options for middle-income earners due to rising rents and unfair practices by landlords when housing is seen as a commodity rather than a human right. Recognizing these significant challenges, the City is taking action to create, maintain and protect affordable housing, beginning at the planning stages through to building and occupancy stages to ensure residents of all income levels and backgrounds have access to safe, adequate and affordable homes across the housing spectrum. 

 The new measures adopted by City Council are:

• using the City's resources to immediately identify and approve 7,000 new rental homes including 5,600 purpose-built rental homes and at least 1,400 affordable rental homes
• approving a Rental Renovation Licence Bylaw to address renovictions
• permitting as-of-right heights and densities for mid-rise buildings along avenues and designated mixed-use areas.

The City is requesting community housing providers and private partners to submit applications and work with the City under these new programs to bring more homes to completion faster. This will help the City meet its HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan (HousingTO Plan) targets to deliver 65,000 new rent-controlled homes including 41,000 affordable rental, 6,500 rent-geared-to-income (RGI) and 17,500 rent-controlled homes. 

More information on the call for applications is available on the City's website.

More information on the Rental Renovation Licence Bylaw including details on how landlords can prepare to transition to the new requirements will be made available on the City's website.

More information on the Housing Action Plan and as-of-right zoning for mid-rise buildings is available on the City's website.

A backgrounder on the Rental Renovation Licence Bylaw, the Housing Action Plan 2020-2030 including as-of-right-zoning for mid-rise buildings, and Purpose-Built Rental Housing incentives is available on the City's website.

Quote:

"A lack of affordable housing, sky high rents and the fear of renoviction is making life tough for hard working people in our city. This week, Toronto City Council approved both a new renoviction bylaw to protect tenants from bad-faith evictions, and a plan to urgently build 20,000 new purpose-built rental homes, 20 per cent of which will be affordable based on income. This is a great step forward, but we must remain laser-focused on making sure more people in our city can have a safe, and affordable place to call home."

- Mayor Olivia Chow