Learn more and access information about Housing Now sites on CreateTO’s website.

 

Housing Now is an initiative to activate City-owned sites for the development of affordable housing within mixed-income, mixed-use, transit-oriented communities. Housing Now is one component of the City of Toronto’s HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan to address the full spectrum of housing issues in Toronto.

Phase 1

City Council launched Phase One of Housing Now in January 2019 with 11 sites. This phase is expected to deliver over 10,000 new homes, including approximately 3,700 affordable rental homes. Work is well underway to advance Phase One of the Housing Now Initiative.

Phase 2

In May 2020, six new sites were added to the Housing Now Initiative. The additional six sites are part of Housing Now Phase Two and are estimated to add between 1,455 and 1,710 new residential homes to the program, including approximately 1,060 to 1,240 purpose-built rental homes of which approximately 530 to 620 will be affordable rental homes.

Phase 3

In November 2021 City Council approved four additional sites to be added to the Housing Now Initiative as Phase Three. These sites are estimated to add between 1,150 and 1,400 new homes, including between 450 and 600 affordable rental homes. City Council also approved the creation of six pipeline sites, which can be added to future phases of the Housing Now Initiative once early feasibility assessments are complete.

 

The Housing Now Initiative represents a new city-building approach to the use of surplus City-owned lands. The Initiative will stimulate the creation of complete communities with a range of new housing where residents can afford quality housing near transit.

Over the last decade, the cost of housing in Toronto and residents’ housing choices have become increasingly restricted. The cost of both rental and ownership housing has increased significantly, while incomes have not kept pace.

The affordable units created through Housing Now will, on average, rent for 80 per cent of Toronto’s average market rent.

Working with the Non-Profit and Co-operative Housing Sector

City Council approved a $1 million Non-Profit Housing Capacity Fund to support the participation of non-profit organizations in the Housing Now Initiative and to encourage their involvement in the market offering process for Housing Now sites, including the opportunity for long-term operation of the affordable rental units.

Additionally in the first phase of the Housing Now Initiative, four sites will be owned and operated by the non-profit and/or co-operative housing sectors.

As part of the three phases of the Housing Now Initiative, City Council has dedicated 21 City-owned sites for the development of affordable housing within mixed-income, mixed-use, transit-oriented communities. A number of sites have their own webpage with additional information as shown below.

Address Phase Ward
777 Victoria Park Avenue One Scarborough Southwest
50 Wilson Heights Boulevard One York Centre
705 Warden Avenue One Scarborough Southwest
140 Merton Street One Toronto-St.Paul’s
5207 Dundas Street West and part 925 Kipling Avenue One Etobicoke-Lakeshore
3326 Bloor Street West and 1226 Islington Avenue One Etobicoke-Lakeshore
770 Don Mills Road One Don Valley East
805 Don Mills Road One Don Valley East
251 Esther Shiner Boulevard  One Don Valley North
1250 Eglinton Avenue West One Eglinton-Lawrence
3933 Keele Street One York Centre
405 Sherbourne Street Two Toronto Centre
150 Queens Wharf Road (Block 36 North) Two Spadina-Fort York
1631 Queen Street East Two Beaches-East York
158 Borough Drive Two Scarborough Centre
2444 Eglinton Avenue East Two Scarborough Centre
1627 and 1675 Danforth Avenue Two Beaches-East York
40 Bushby Drive Three Scarborough-Guildwood
2700 Eglinton Avenue West Three York South-Weston
4040 Lawrence Avenue East Three Scarborough-Guildwood
East Bayfront (Block R6) Three Spadina-Fort York

 

Timeline

The Housing Now Initiative follows an accelerated model to ensure an expedited route to construction and occupancy with the expectation that a site will take two to four years to deliver from Business Case Development to Market Offering to Delivery. Construction on some of the sites is expected to begin in 2022.

Stage 1: Business Case Stage 2: Market Offering Stage 3: Housing Delivery
Key Actions
  • Design Project
  • Due Diligence and Market Sounding
  • City-building objectives
  • Affordability Program
  • Feasibility Analysis
  • Initiate Rezoning (including conducting appropriate stakeholder consultations)
  • Select broker, if required
  • Project Marketing
  • Project Underwriting
  • Evaluation of Bids
  • Award and Negotiations
  • Complete planning approvals process (e.g. Site Plan approval)
  • Sale/Lease/Affordable Housing Transactions to be finalized
  • Developer Financing
  • Developer Planning Application (expedited)
  • Developer Construction Award
  • Development onsite
  • Selection of tenants and occupancy
Duration 3-6 months 7-12 months 2-4 years

Progress

Housing Now sites are at various stages of Business Case, Market Offering and Housing Delivery. To date, Council has approved the planning permissions for 140 Merton Street, 777 Victoria Park Avenue, 50 Wilson Heights Boulevard, 705 Warden Avenue, 405 Sherbourne Street, Bloor-Kipling (Blocks 1,2, and 5) and 150 Queens Wharf Road.

The second Housing Now Initiative Annual Report has additional information if you are interested in learning more.

For those sites with development concepts and related materials, there are specific webpages listed below:

For more information regarding upcoming public meetings please visit CreateTO’s Events web page.

Affordable to Whom?

Housing Now aims to create homes affordable for a diverse range of incomes including deeply affordable homes by setting rents between 4 per cent to 80 per cent of the City’s average market rents. At the time of occupancy, rents will be adjusted to reflect average market rent of that year.

Council Direction

Site Specific Approvals

The following sites have advanced through a site specific planning process. More information is available below.

Address Complete Community Elements
140 Merton Street
  • 180 rental units, including 90 affordable rental units
  • Heritage Preservation
  • 2,150 square metres of community space
  • Mid-block connection and outdoor social spaces
50 Wilson Heights Boulevard
  • 1,500 residential units including 500 affordable rental units
  • 62-space child care facility
  • 1,700 square metres of community space
  • 3,800 square metres of non-residential (commercial and retail space)
  • 3,049 square metre public park, extension of the William R. Allen Road Pathway
  • New public street
777 Victoria Park Avenue
  • 508 rental units, including 254 affordable rental units
  • 62 space childcare facility
  • 425 square metres of community space
  • Midblock connections and outdoor social spaces (transit plaza)
705 Warden Avenue
  • 600 residential units, including 250 affordable rental units
  • 62 space child care facility
  • 400 square metres of retail space
  • 13,000 square metres of office space (TTC)
  • 3,834 square metre public park and renaturalized area around Massey Creek
  • New public street
405 Sherbourne Street
  • 267 rental units with a minimum of 89 affordable rental units
  • 168 square metres of community space
  • New landscaped public mid-block connection
Bloor-Kipling Blocks 1, 2, 5
  • 1,229 residential units with a minimum of 409 affordable rental units
  • Two new public parks (Block 2, and a portion of Block 5)
  • 8,200 square metres of non-residential (commercial and retail space)
  • New publicly accessible courtyards
150 Queens Wharf Road
  • 282 rental units with a minimum of 94 affordable rental units
  • 300 square metres for an EarlyON centre for children
  • Landscaped midblock connection
158 Borough Drive
  • 645 dwelling units with approximately 213 affordable rental units
  • A minimum 800 square metre non-profit childcare facility
  • Two landscaped pedestrian connections
770 Don Mills Road
  • 1,254 residential units with approximately 418 affordable rental units
  • A new TDSB elementary school
  • 997 square metre non-profit child care facility
  • 1,065 square metre public park
  • Renaturalization of the Don Valley Ravine
  • A mid-block connection between Science Centre Station and the public park
  • Two new public streets
805 Don Mills Road
  • 840 residential units with approximately 277 affordable rental units
  • 1,020 square metre non-profit childcare facility
  • 992 square metre public park
  • A new public street and the realignment of an existing public right-of-way
  • Mid-block pedestrian connections between Eglinton Avenue East and the new public street