RecoveryTO: People, Housing & Neighbourhoods

COVID-19 has had more significant impacts on some Torontonians, including racialized residents, women, seniors, young people, Indigenous communities, residents with disabilities and low-income residents. The City of Toronto is taking action to support equity-deserving communities under its guiding framework, TO Supports: COVID-19 Equity Action Plan. These supports include:

This work is constantly evolving and improving in light of new information, new partnerships, and new public health conditions.

Related Announcements

Reports to Council

Toronto City Council adopted recommendations under the ModernTO program to redevelop and repurpose eight underused City-owned properties to advance the program’s city-building objectives, which include the creation of affordable housing and achieving financial sustainability
Among the 2022 Budget items approved by Toronto City Council is the Digital Literacy for Seniors pilot program, which will be facilitated in part by the Toronto Public Library to assist seniors living in Toronto Community Housing buildings
To support work involved in the updated Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy, City Council approved an increase of $150,000 to the City’s 2022 budget to support the program
To support individuals experiencing homelessness, City Council approved additional funding in the City’s 2022 budget for the provision of free hygeine products in shelters, respite sites, and drop-in centres
City Council approved several initiatives to advance the City’s and its partners’ goal of ending chronic homelessness in Toronto. Among the reports that Council adopted are the three-year Service Plan based on the City’s 2021 Street Needs Assessment, and the 2022 Infrastructure Plan from which an operational plan will be developed to transition out of COVID-19 hotel response sites
City Council received a report on COVID-19 response and the Child Care Growth Strategy and made requests of the federal and provincial governments to include the City as a partner in discussions around the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Plan
Poverty reduction will be focus on Toronto’s recovery efforts. An update on the 2019-2022 Poverty Reduction Strategy Action Plan was provided to City Council in June 2021

Search through other reports to City Council for more information

Equity & Reconciliation Initiatives

Toronto’s adopted its first Reconciliation Action Plan in April 2022, building on the City’s existing commitments to Indigenous Peoples in Toronto. The Reconciliation Action Plan sets out 28 meaningful actions to restore truth and justice, addresses the colonial practices within City policies and programs, and will impact the whole of Toronto’s government
City Council adopted recommendations from the City’s Confronting Anti-Black Racism Advisory Committee and directed the City Manager to work with the Provincial and Federal governments to establish an intergovernmental table to address the disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Black, Indigenous, and racialized communities
City Council has authorized the City to enter into a 20-year sublease agreement with Thunder Woman Healing Lodge Society on Spadina Rd.
Toronto City Council approved the implementation of the Toronto Black Food Sovereignty Plan aimed to improve health outcomes of Black populations throughout Toronto and improve access to affordable, healthy, and culturally appropriate food
The City announced it will advance the development of 5,200 affordable rental homes for the Indigenous community, in partnership with the Miziwe Biik Development Corporation
A report to City Council with an overview of SDFA’s work to advance reconciliation and equity through the use of Community Investment funding was provided in April 2021
In Fall 2020, the City of Toronto entered into a partnership with the Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council to develop the Tkaronto Prosperity Plan to address the needs of Indigenous residents living in poverty
City Council asked staff to report to the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee on an intersectional approach to support equity-seeking groups, including persons with disabilities experience homelessness, to access housing with appropriate supports, and that report was provided in June 2021

Partnerships & Intergovernmental Updates

Federal and Provincial governments announced a $13.6 billion child care deal over the next six years
The City received $201.5 million in federal funding under the Rapid Housing Initiative, which is also supporting the first housing development under the social medicine initiative with University Health Network and United Way
The Government of Canada announced an extension to two safer supply programs in Toronto to help address the overdose crisis
Federal Government announced $250 million over five years for community safety to prevent gun and gang violence
The Ontario government announced an investment of nearly $1.5 million to Toronto Public Library for the delivery of free online historical resources through Digital Archive Ontario. All library users province-wide will benefit from the province’s support of the archival resource
FedDev Ontario announced support for the Nia Centre for the Arts, Canada’s first multi-disciplinary professional arts space for Black artists and residents in Toronto
In partnership with community organizations, the City is implementing community crisis support service pilot programs in four regions of Toronto to respond to mental health crisis calls
The federal government in its Speech from the Throne, announced a new $4 billion Housing Accelerator Fund to help municipalities “build more and better, faster.”
The Province announced $46 million through the Community Building Fund to support 648 non-profit tourism, culture, sport and recreation organizations experiencing significant financial pressures due to COVID-19 (October 2021)
At the start of the pandemic in March 2020, the City of Toronto established the Community Coordination Plan, in collaboration with United Way of Greater Toronto. The Plan involves coordination with over 400 community-based organizations to implement supportive social services; these supports have continued through out the pandemic

Data & Trends

Shelter System Flow Dashboard

Access information about people experiencing homelessness who are entering and leaving the City of Toronto shelter system

HousingNow Projects

Access information about how the City is creating mixed-income communities on public lands including new projects

Wellbeing Toronto

Allows users to evaluate community well-being across Toronto’s neighbourhoods using a number of factors, such as crime, transportation and housing

211 Central

An interactive tool where users that see which City services are in greatest demand according to area code

Public Safety Data Portal

Provides users with access to information on major crime indicators, traffic, and shooting & firearm discharges based on information provided by the Toronto Police Service

Toronto’s Dashboard

Allows users to find information on Community Vulnerability, Crime, Economy, and City Services

Raising the Village

Allows user to explore over 100+ indicators on how children and families are doing in Toronto includes child, family and indigenous outcomes