Today, Toronto City Council voted to endorse the plan to quickly move forward with the first two Toronto locations under the Government of Canada’s Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI). These sites at 222 Spadina Ave. and 877 Yonge St. will provide approximately 334 homes with support services for people in need – with 127 homes ready for occupancy in June and the balance later this year.
The City of Toronto acquired the former hotel space at 222 Spadina Ave. in April to create affordable supportive housing as part of RHI. The existing development is a 10-storey mixed commercial-residential building containing commercial uses, 124 existing residential dwelling units, and 92 hotel rooms on the third, fourth and fifth floors. Interior renovations and alterations on the hotel room floors will convert the existing 92 hotel rooms to 84 self-contained apartments, shared laundry, a communal area and programming space, and a new outdoor amenity space on the fifth floor.
The 877 Yonge St. property is a 15-storey building, also acquired in April that will undergo interior renovations and alterations to create approximately 250 supportive homes, including 120 one-bedroom and 132 studio apartments.
Quotes:
“These two sites will provide approximately 334 homes with critical support services. All three levels of government are involved here and committed to providing more housing for people as soon as possible. This will help us help people as quickly as possible and continue to address homelessness.”
– Mayor John Tory
“In expediting this process, we will be providing housing to over 300 people by the end of this year. For someone who is currently living in an encampment or seeking space in a shelter, this will provide them with a safe, secure and stable place that they can call home and allow them to quickly begin a new chapter in their lives.”
– Deputy Mayor Ana Bailão, (Davenport), Chair of the Planning and Housing Committee
“It’s up to all three levels of government to tackle the urgent need for affordable housing in our city. By working with the Federal and Provincial Governments, we will be able to turn a private hotel and retirement residence into 334 deeply-affordable apartments with support services for people in our city. I want to thank our Federal and Provincial partners for their support in helping us to create permanent, affordable supportive housing in the heart of our downtown communities.”
– Councillor Joe Cressy (Spadina-Fort York), Chair of the Board of Health
“We are addressing homelessness in more innovative and creative ways than ever before. By leveraging available funding to purchase these buildings and by asking the Province to help us expedite the site approvals, we can make a real difference in peoples’ lives in months rather than in years.”
– Councillor Mike Layton (University-Rosedale)
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