Today, the City of Toronto, CreateTO and the Government of Canada celebrated the start of construction of a new rent-controlled and sustainable housing development on City-owned land at 1113–1125 Dundas St. W.
This development at Dundas Street West and Ossington Avenue will deliver 74 new rent-controlled homes, including at least 17 affordable homes. By combining affordable housing with low-carbon mass timber construction and energy-efficient design, the project will help address Toronto’s housing needs while advancing climate goals. More than 40 per cent of the units are either two- or three-bedrooms, supporting a vibrant, inclusive community.
Advancing the Public Developer model
The project is transforming a former municipal parking into non-market, affordable rental homes for low- and moderate-income residents. As a public developer, the City is taking a more direct and intentional role in how public land is used to build affordable homes, setting housing targets that will meet residents’ needs, and expediting development reviews and approvals.
The project will be led by CreateTO, and is part of the City’s portfolio of sites being redeveloped to create a range of new rental homes within mixed-income complete communities on City land. The City will select an experienced non-profit housing provider to manage the building.
Creating sustainable rental housing
The project will support a lower-carbon, transit-connected lifestyle. It will also use innovative, sustainable design approaches, including mass timber construction and geothermal energy, to reduce environmental impacts. This is part of the City’s commitment to deliver new, scalable affordable and market housing solutions that support the City’s climate action goals, while also speeding up housing delivery.
The development is designed and will be constructed by an all-Canadian team of Moriyama Teshima Architects, Montgomery Sisam Architects and Pomerleau Construction.
Intergovernmental partnership
This development is the result of strong intergovernmental partnership between the Government of Canada and the City. The City is leveraging City owned land, along with capital funding and incentives to advance this project. This combined with funding through the Government of Canada’s Build Canada Homes funding, is ensuring the project can break ground and deliver more housing for Torontonians. More information about this partnership is available on the City’s webpage: www.toronto.ca/news/city-of-toronto-government-of-canada-announce-new-partnership-securing-up-to-2-7-billion-to-build-new-homes.
This project is contributing to the City’s HousingTO Plan target to deliver 65,000 new rent-controlled homes, including 41,000 affordable rental, 6,500 rent-geared-to-income and 17,500 rent-controlled homes by 2030. More information is available on the City’s website: www.toronto.ca/community-people/community-partners/housing-partners/housingto-2020-2030-action-plan/.
Quotes:
“Today, we’re turning City-owned land into new rental housing, including affordable and family-sized homes. By working with Build Canada Homes, we’re building the housing Toronto needs so people who work here can afford to live here. Together, we’re delivering a more affordable and caring city for everyone.”
– Olivia Chow, Mayor of Toronto
“I am proud to see the first project to move into construction through the Build Canada Homes initiative located in University–Rosedale.
There is a need for more affordable housing, and this project is a great example of what we can accomplish by working with the City of Toronto to build affordable homes faster. What was once a parking lot is now being reimagined and transformed into a place that hundreds of people will soon call home. This is a win not only for the University–Rosedale community, but for everyone who wants to build a future in Toronto. I want to thank the City of Toronto and all our partners for working with our government to deliver on our commitment to build more homes, faster, and create a better and stronger Canada.”
– Danielle Martin, Member of Parliament for University-Rosedale
“I’m thrilled to be breaking ground on new affordable and rental homes right here in the Ossington community. This project has been long-awaited by community members and welcoming more families to the neighbourhood, with the focus on two and three-bedroom homes.”
– Councillor, Spadina-Fort York
“Our partnership with the City of Toronto reflects a shared commitment to getting more homes built and making better use of public assets to meet local housing needs. At 1113-1125 Dundas Street West, that collaboration is turning an underutilized site into affordable and rent-controlled housing, family-sized homes, and a sustainable community designed to serve residents for generations. This is the kind of impact we can achieve when governments work together with ambition, purpose and a focus on long-term outcomes.”
– Ana Bailão, President and CEO, Build Canada Homes
“CreateTO is so proud to deliver 1113-1125 Dundas Street West as our first project under the City’s public developer model. Our agency now has more than 5,000 homes under construction on City-owned lands, helping accelerate the transformation of Toronto’s valuable real estate into the housing our growing city needs to thrive.”
-Vic Gupta, CEO, CreateTO
Toronto is home to more than three million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As an Official Host City for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation and climate action, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City's website or follow us on X, Instagram or Facebook.
CreateTO was formed in 2018 as the City of Toronto’s real estate agency. The organization brings together stakeholders, partners and community members to ensure the best use of the City’s real estate assets for today and tomorrow. CreateTO manages the City’s $27 billion real estate portfolio, develops City buildings and lands for municipal purposes and delivers client focused real estate solutions – ensuring a balance of both community and economic benefits to build the city we love. More information is available on the CreateTO website: www.createto.ca.