Following the approval of 120 major transit station areas and protected major transit station areas across Toronto, steps are being taken to quickly advance implementation that will help increase housing and contribute to the provincial target of 285,000 new homes in the city by 2031.
Today, Mayor Olivia Chow was joined by City of Toronto staff to provide an overview of the policies as well as next steps for the 25 Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs) and 95 Protected Major Transit Station Areas (PMTSAs) that were recently approved by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing on Friday, August 15.
Increased housing density across Toronto
MTSAs generally represent a 10-minute walking radius around an existing or planned higher order transit station and must meet provincially mandated minimum density targets for number of residents and jobs per hectare. PMTSAs require minimum development density for buildings and structures. Notably, these protected transit areas also allow municipalities to implement Inclusionary Zoning, which requires affordable housing in new residential developments.
The staff workplan for the implementation of MTSA and PMTSA policies, including updating the City’s zoning bylaws to implement the new policies, will be presented to the Planning and Housing Committee on Thursday, September 25. The workplan includes an ambitious strategy to move quickly on developing the implementing zoning for Toronto City Council’s consideration by late spring or early summer of 2026. The full report can be accessed on the City’s website.
The MTSA and PMTSA zoning implementation is one of eight initiatives approved by City Council under the federal Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) through which the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has committed $471.1 million in funding to support the City’s housing targets.
More information on MTSAs and PMTSAs, including density and Inclusionary Zoning requirements, is available in the backgrounder.
Quotes:
“The approval of transit station areas across Toronto unlocks a huge housing opportunity for residents, for years to come. With more housing near transit stations, we are looking at a future where Torontonians can more easily live, work and travel across the city we love. I thank the Province for their partnership and look forward to working with City Council and staff, as well as with the development industry, to get more housing built.”
– Mayor Olivia Chow
“The long-awaited approval of the 25 MTSAs and 95 PMTSAs is finally completed and now begins the work to ensure that the City of Toronto implements zoning that will achieve the main goals of this policy change – more homes and more affordability. I am pleased to see City staff’s ambitious workplan to move quickly and look forward to working with my Council colleagues on making sure we adopt this plan that will help to achieve our housing targets.”
– Councillor Gord Perks (Parkdale-High Park), Chair of the Planning and Housing Committee
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