Learn more and access information about Housing Now sites on CreateTO’s website.
Housing Now uses City-owned land to develop affordable housing. Housing Now aims to create housing that is close to transit, includes a variety of services, and is affordable to households with a range of incomes.
Housing Now is part of the City’s HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan, Toronto’s overall strategy to address a range of housing needs.
Since Housing Now began in January 2019 the City has included 22 properties across Toronto. These properties are estimated to produce over 15,000 new homes with over 5,000 being affordable rental homes.
Housing Now currently has development approvals for 10 properties. Construction began on the first property in August 2023.
You can review information on specific Housing Now locations by visiting CreateTO’s Housing Now page.
Overview
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.
Sites
As part of the three phases of the Housing Now Initiative, City Council has dedicated 22 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.
Timeline & Progress
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 2023.
|
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), 150 Queens Wharf Road, 158 Borough Drive, 770 Don Mills Road, 805 Don Mills Road and Parkdale Hub.
The third Housing Now Initiative Annual Report has additional information if you are interested in learning more.
To view sites with development concepts and related materials, visit their specific webpages listed in Sites.
For more information regarding upcoming public meetings please visit CreateTO’s Events web page.
Background & Resources
Affordable to Whom?
Housing Now aims to create homes affordable for a diverse range of incomes including deeply affordable homes by setting rents between 40 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
- At its meeting On May 10, 2023, City Council adopted the Report: Housing Now Initiative – 2023 Progress Update which provides an annual update on the Housing Now Initiative and moved Parkdale Hub from a pipeline site to a Phase Three site.
- At its meeting on November 9, 10, and 12, 2021, City Council adopted the Report: Housing Now Initiative – Annual Progress Update and Launch of Phase Three Sites which provides an annual update on the Housing Now Initiative and approved the creation of Housing Now Phase 3, and Housing Now pipeline sites.
- On June 29, 2020, City Council adopted the Housing Now Initiative – Annual Progress Report which provides an annual update on the Housing Now Initiative including the current status of the Phase One sites.
- On May 28, 2020, City Council adopted the Creating New Affordable Housing Opportunities through Phase Two of the Housing Now Initiative report. This report recommended Council’s approval of six additional sites to the Housing Now Initiative.
- On January 30 and 31, 2019, City Council adopted the Implementing the Housing Now Initiative report.
- On December 4, 5 and 13, 2018, City Council approved the activation of 11 sites for the development of affordable housing as part of creating mixed-income, mixed-use and transit oriented communities.
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
Bloor-Kipling Block 1 (5207 Dundas Street West) |
- 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
- In May of 2023, Council approved a site-specific re-zoning to permit an additional 67 homes at 5207 Dundas Street West
|
| 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
|
| Parkdale Hub – 1303, 1313, 1325, 1337, 1345 Queen Street West and 212, 220, 224 Cowan Avenue |
- 231 residential dwelling units with approximately 76 affordable rental units, including the replacement of nine live-work rental units
- Revitalization and expansion of Masarky-Cowan Community Recreation Centre and Parkdale Library
- Minimum of 6,950 square metres of non-residential space
- Conservation and incorporation of two heritage properties
|
