September 1, 1999
ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE
RE:RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE TORONTO HOUSING COMPANY INC.
ITEM 4 - PROPERTY HOUSES TRANSFER
At its meeting of June 24, 1999 the Board of the Toronto Housing Company Inc., had before it a Board Report (June 21,
1999) Property Houses Transfer. The Board of Directors passed the following resolutions with respect to the attached
report.
ON MOTION MADE BY Councillor Michael Feldman, seconded by Catherine Bertucci-Menchetti, the Board of
Directors adopted the report without amendment.
(1)That the Board of Directors forward this report to the Administration Committee and City Council with the
recommendation that Council grant approval of the changes to the transaction outlined in this report, that Council declare
all of the property houses surplus in accordance with such changes and that the appropriate city officials carry out whatever
actions are necessary to give effect to Bylaw No. 551-1998;
(2)that the Toronto Housing Company accept a conveyance of the Property Houses upon the terms set out in Clause 3 of
the Corporate Services Committee Report No. 4 as amended, of the Property House portfolio, except for the 15 properties
required to be sold as described in the said clause ("the Sale Properties");
(3)that, subject to City Council's concurrence, the Toronto Housing Company through the Chief Executive Officer, offer
for sale and accept offers to purchase respecting the Sale Properties, on the City's behalf;
(4)that the Toronto Housing Company accept from the City the proceeds from the sale of the Sale Properties;
(5)that the Toronto Housing Company continue to manage the Sale Properties under the Property House Leases until
each Sale Property is sold, respectively; and,
(6)that the appropriate Toronto Housing Company Officials be authorized to take the necessary actions to give effect
thereto.
D.Ballantyne
Chief Executive Officer
Attach:
Item (4-99053)
cS.Emerson
B.Dryden
THCres12
TORONTO HOUSING COMPANY INC
Date:June 21, 1999
To:BOARD OF DIRECTORS
From:Chief Executive Officer
Subject:PROPERTY HOUSES TRANSFER
(THC:99053:bd)
RECOMMENDATIONS:
(1)That the Board of Directors forward this report to the Administration Committee and City Council with the
recommendation that Council grant approval of the changes to the transaction outlined in this report, that Council declare
all of the property houses surplus in accordance with such changes and that the appropriate city officials carry out whatever
actions are necessary to give effect to Bylaw No. 551-1998;
(2) that the Toronto Housing Company accept a conveyance of the Property Houses upon the terms set out in Clause 3 of
the Corporate Services Committee Report No. 4 as amended, of the Property House portfolio, except for the 15 properties
required to be sold as described in the said clause ("the Sale Properties");
(3)that, subject to City Council's concurrence, the Toronto Housing Company through the Chief Executive Officer, offer
for sale and accept offers to purchase respecting the Sale Properties, on the City's behalf;
(4)that the Toronto Housing Company accept from the City the proceeds from the sale of the Sale Properties;
(5)that the Toronto Housing Company continue to manage the Sale Properties under the Property House Leases until
each Sale Property is sold, respectively; and,
(6)that the appropriate Toronto Housing Company Officials be authorized to take the necessary actions to give effect
thereto.
BACKGROUND:
The property houses portfolio consists of 60 properties owned by the City of Toronto which have been under lease to the
Toronto Housing Company (THC) for the purpose of market rental accommodation on a cost-pass-through basis. The
properties are predominantly houses and contain 105 residential units. The portfolio is managed without any capital or
operating subsidies.
Recently Toronto City Council approved Clause 3 of Corporate Services Committee (CSC) Report No. 4, as amended,
declaring the City's Property Houses surplus and recommending conveyance of the portfolio to the Toronto Housing
Company. Approval is based on the Company's proposal for the Property Houses (A Plan for the Property Houses -
Maximizing Housing Opportunities for Low Income Tenants). The Toronto Housing Company's Report proposes a
self-financing plan to continue managing the portfolio as affordable rental accommodation. The goal of the Property
Houses Plan is to preserve and retain the most needed larger family units and create from sale revenues the resources for
internal cross-subsidies for as many rent-geared-to income (RGI) units as possible. The proposed operating plan was based
on the retention of 45 properties and the disposal of 15, utilizing sale proceeds to pay down debt, repairing some properties,
funding capital reserves and creating RGI subsidies.
The following are the properties that are to be sold, as per Corporate Services Committee Report No. 4, as amended and
approved by City Council:
125 Roxborough St. Detached 2 Storey, 3 bdr. house
213 Crawford St. Semi-detached 2-storey, 4-bdr house
217 Crawford St. Detached 2 ½ storey, 4-bdr house
1 Hubbard Blvd. and,
3 Hubbard Blvd. Detached 2-storey fourplex house. Each semi detached duplex with 2-2 bdr units
5 Hubbard Blvd. and,
7 Hubbard Blvd. detached 2-storey fourplex house. Each semi detached duplex with 2-2 bdr units
9 Hubbard Blvd. and,
11 Hubbard Blvd. detached 2-storey fourplex house. Each semi detached duplex with 2-2 bdr units
13 Hubbard Blvd. Detached 2-storey, 4-bdr house
15 Hubbard Blvd. Detached 3-storey walkup apartment with 17 bachelor units
2 Wineva Ave. and,
4 Wineva Ave. Detached 2-storey fourplex house. Each semi detached duplex with 2-2 bdr units
6 Wineva Ave. and,
8 Wineva Ave. detached 2-storey fourplex house. Each semi detached duplex with 2-2 bdr units
The criteria for selection on the sale list included properties with the highest market value, small unit size and one
investment rental property that is likely to remain as rental stock if sold. The 45 properties not sold will be retained for
affordable housing purposes and managed on a self-financing basis.
In accordance with the Toronto Housing Company's Report and CSC / Council direction the properties will be sold at
market value and in accordance with the City's disposal policy. The Toronto Housing Company will offer these 15
properties for sale in accordance with Clause 3 of CSC No. 4, as amended, subject to the further amendments by this
report.
REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS:
Recommendation No.1
Changes to the transaction as originally approved by Council are proposed as outlined below in order to rationalize the
portfolio of Property Houses and provide a process by which the Sale properties ca be disposed of.:
(A)Properties on Disposal List (Sale properties) not to be transferred
The properties on each of Wineva and Hubbard respectively abut each other. Under the Planning Act, the Toronto Housing
Company may not sell any of these individual properties without the consent of the Committee of Adjustment if it owns
abutting land. On the other hand the City is exempt from these provisions of the Planning Act. Because the City has
decided that these properties should be sold and because the Toronto Housing Company may not do so without the
Committee of Adjustment's consent, we recommend to Council that the Wineva and Hubbard properties not be transferred
to the Toronto Housing Company but be sold directly by the City. The same procedure should be followed with the
properties at 213 and 217 Crawford Street. Although the Roxborough property is a single unit, it should be retained by the
City for the purpose of sale in a manner consistent with the other properties. The Toronto Housing Company through its
Chief Executive Officer will act as the City's agent in offering the properties for sale and negotiating and accepting offers.
In keeping with the intent of the original Plan the City should not retain the net proceeds of Sale but should provide them to
the Toronto Housing Company under its granting powers. The net proceeds of the sales are intended to be used to retire the
mortgage debt, effect needed capital repairs and provide a fund for the provision of rent assistance to low income
households.
(B)First right to Offer to Purchase by Tenants
Clause 3 of CSC No. 4 recommended that consideration only be given to those Offers to Purchase from the tenants in
duplex, triplex or fourplex buildings made collectively by all of the tenants living in each such building on the terms and
conditions outlined in the report of the City Solicitor to CSC dated November 20, 1998. The Toronto Housing Company
requests that Council give approval to the procedure that failing to receive a joint offer by all the tenants in a building, the
Toronto Housing Company be allowed to receive an Offer to purchase the entire building by any tenant in such building.
This modification will allow the possibility that some but not all tenants in a building are interested in a joint Offer to
Purchase and that all interested tenants have the opportunity to purchase. All Offers to Purchase will still have to be made
jointly by all interested tenants. This reflects the intention of the City's Solicitor's Report of November 20, 1999 to leave
the organizational process to the tenants of each multiplex by offering to sell them their buildings collectively giving the
residents full autonomy in an area which affects them vitally.
Recommendation No. 2
As per the proposed changes to the transaction described above, the Toronto Housing Company will accept conveyance of
45 properties to be retained. The proposed sale list includes 15 properties as described above.
Recommendation No. 3
The Toronto Housing Company will manage the disposition process as recommended by Council and CSC Report No. 4 as
amended. However, this will be implemented by acting as the City's agent on all aspects of the sales (see recommendation
1 above).
Recommendation No. 4
Closing of each sale transaction is between the City and the Purchaser and proceeds will be collected by the City.
Therefore, the City under its granting powers will provide the proceeds of sale to the Toronto Housing Company.
Recommendation No. 5
The existing lease arrangement for the Sale Properties will remain in place and the Toronto Housing Company will
continue to manage and operate each Sale Property until sold.
UPDATE:
The Toronto Housing Company is in the process of implementing Council recommendations. The intention is to move very
quickly with the sale of selected properties (as early as September 1999). This will permit the Toronto Housing Company
to move towards operating the portfolio as envisioned in the Plan - eliminating mortgage debt, introducing some RGI
assistance and adding new subsidized housing units to the assisted housing portfolio.
The property Houses Business Plan recommended that tenants have the opportunity to purchase their buildings at market
value. Recommendation No. 2 of Clause 3 of CSC Report No. 4, as amended, recommended that prior to tenants being
offered any duplex, triplex or fourplex building (or any portion thereof) within the Property House portfolio, the Toronto
Housing Company obtain confirmation from the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services (UPDS) that
the proposed use of the property as ownership housing does not contravene any current or contemplated City policy
respecting the conversion of rental housing.
Staff requested this confirmation. On June 1, 1999, the Commissioner of UPDS responded based on the interpretation of
Council's newly adopted Official Plan policies, which limit, where appropriate the conversion and demolition of rental
housing. The Commissioner concluded that in light of the content of the report adopted by Council and of the Toronto
Housing Company's articles of incorporation, the proposed transaction is not inconsistent with the object of, and should,
therefore, not be restricted by policy 135.1 of the Official Plan/. Based on our proposed implementation beginning
September 1999 of the Property Houses Business Plan the Commissioner does not anticipate the emergence of any new
policies that would conflict with our Business Plan and the related property transaction by year's end.
Consultants have been retained to conduct building condition inspections on all properties and real estate appraisals on
those to be sold. Staff is also obtaining advice from experienced local Real Estate brokers with respect to pricing and
marketing. This will occur during June and July. Staff is consulting with the City's Real Estate Services in respect to the
City's Disposal Policy and their experience in the disposition of the Spadina and Scarborough properties. Subsequently we
will prepare a disposal strategy to ensure the Company's interests are protected. The information produced by the
inspections, appraisals and real estate opinions will assist us in determining a fair market value for each property to be sold
and in developing a multiyear capital works plan for those properties to be retained
The Toronto Housing Company recognizes that the sale of these properties will be disruptive to tenants. For those not
interested or in a position to purchase, the Toronto Housing Company will offer alternative market rental housing or
assisted housing as required in the Company's portfolio. All tenants will receive a communication informing them of the
transfer of ownership of the 45 properties from the City to the Toronto Housing Company. Tenants of buildings on the sale
list will receive further information regarding the sale process and providing more details as soon as a definite schedule is
determined.
NEXT STEPS:
Completing the real estate transaction and the disposal process require several steps by the Toronto Housing Company and
the City. A general schedule is proposed below.
Meeting the need for affordable housing without senior government financial assistance is a significant challenge for the Toronto Housing Company. The Company took the initiative to justify a financially viable option to retain City-owned assets that are much needed for affordable housing. It proposed a plan to more effectively use the Property House portfolio while maximizing the housing available to low income families. The principles include a self-financing approach to the capital and operating expenses, which is contingent upon the sale proceeds from the sale of some of the properties. We expect some adjustments may be required as the next steps develop and will continue to update you on a regular basis.
Portfolio Management Tel: 392-3723.