Today, Mayor Chow joined the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, to announce a funding allocation for 43 deeply affordable supportive homes as part of the third phase of the federal Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI), a capital funding program that helps create new affordable and supportive rental housing for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Also in attendance were Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik (Spadina-Fort York), Councillor Chris Moise (Toronto Centre), Lesley Davidson, President of YMCA of Greater Toronto, and Carol Zoulalian, Executive Director of St. Jude Community Homes.
This funding allocation will support non-profit and public-led housing developments, including:
More funding for additional projects under the third phase of RHI in Toronto will be announced soon.
Indigenous, not-for-profit and co-operative organizations are a key component of Toronto’s community housing stock, as they provide affordable and supportive homes for low- and moderate-income households and people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
The YMCA of Greater Toronto – an experienced non-profit housing provider – will develop and operate the project at 7 Vanauley St., which will be known as The Wagner Green YMCA. The building will include 31 new homes dedicated to 2SLGBTQ+ youth who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The new homes will be offered as Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) homes with no tenant paying more than 30 per cent of their income or the shelter allowance of their income support benefit on rent.
The new homes will be operated as supportive housing by the YMCA, which will provide a range of services for tenants, including support for housing stability, mental health and well-being, and other on-site support services.
The building will include amenity spaces for tenants, and each of the homes will include private studio apartments with a kitchenette and bathroom.
SJCH – an experienced non-profit housing and support services provider – will develop and operate the project at 393 Dundas St. E. The building will include 12 new homes dedicated to people experiencing homelessness. It will be offered as RGI homes with no tenant paying more than 30 per cent of their income or the shelter allowance of their income support benefit on rent.
The new homes will be operated as supportive housing by SJCH, providing 24/7 on-site staffing and a range of mental health, housing stability and well-being services and community development programs.
These homes will be private studio apartments with a kitchenette and bathroom, as well as amenity spaces for tenants.
RHI is delivered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) under the National Housing Strategy. RHI has been critical in scaling up the supply of supportive homes in Toronto and is one of the key strategies to addressing Toronto’s homelessness crisis.
To date, the City, along with Indigenous and non-profit partners, has received almost $440 million in capital grant funding through the RHI, with over 1,000 homes completed or underway. The 7 Vanauley St. and 393 Dundas St. E. projects received more than $16 million in capital funding from the federal government. The City has also committed more than $7.8 million in funding and financial incentives, including waivers of development charges and planning and building fees, and annual property tax exemptions for at least 40 years.
RHI funding supports the implementation of the City’s HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan (HousingTO Action Plan) that targets 65,000 new affordable rental home approvals across the city over 10 years, of which 18,000 will be supportive homes with a focus on helping people exit homelessness. All orders of government need even stronger action across the full housing continuum in response to the worsening housing and homelessness crisis. The City’s “Generational Transformation of Toronto’s Housing System to Urgently Build More Affordable Homes” staff report (https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.EX9.3) outlines how to transform Toronto’s housing system and improve housing outcomes for low- and middle-income Torontonians.
The City continues to take a strong leadership role in housing. Since the launch of the HousingTO Plan, the City has committed approximately $8 billion in land, capital and operating funding and waived fees and charges. While the City is committed to taking every possible action within its jurisdictional and financial capacity to address the housing crisis, support from federal and provincial governments is vital for these efforts. Continued investments from the federal and provincial governments are required to deliver these much-needed homes.
More information is available on the HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan.
More information is available on the Generational Transformation of Toronto’s Housing System to Urgently Build More Affordable Homes report.
“The City of Toronto is dedicated to improving housing affordability and building more supportive homes. We’re working with all orders of government and not-for-profit partners to get more housing built faster. Projects like 7 Vanauley St. and 393 Dundas St. E. demonstrate how we can partner to quickly build stable, supportive housing for people who need it. Our ambitious housing plan aims to build thousands of affordable homes by working with non-profits. We’re ready to build even more.”
– Mayor Olivia Chow
“Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Through the Rapid Housing Initiative, we are quickly providing new affordable homes for people who need them most right across Canada, including right here in Toronto. We are working closely with our partners to create more affordable housing that meets the needs of Canadians right across the country.”
– The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
“As we invest in building more affordable housing, we cannot forget about those most vulnerable in our society. This is why, through the Rapid Housing Initiative, we are making investments to ensure that Canadians here in Toronto and across the country have access to safe and affordable housing that meets their needs. This means working with partners like the City of Toronto to make sure that people battling addiction, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, Black and racialized people, people with disabilities and women and children fleeing gender-based violence have a safe place to call home. While today’s announcement marks an important step forward, we know there is more work ahead to solve this issue.”
– The Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth
“The much-needed new supportive housing at 7 Vanauley St. will provide a safe and affordable place to live, with essential services each resident requires to live well and participate in the community. Initiatives like this demonstrate the power of multi-level government and not-for-profit partners collaboration in delivering secure homes for all, and I look forward to the continued support of our federal government and local partners in making it possible.”
– Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik (Spadina-Fort York)
“It’s great to see that the Government of Canada recognizes the urgency and necessity of increasing our affordable supportive housing supply. Solving Toronto’s housing crisis requires a collaborative effort across all orders of government and the not-for-profit sector. Together, we can create real change and ensure everyone in our city has a safe and stable place to call home.”
– Gord Perks (Parkdale-High Park), Chair of the Planning and Housing Committee
“Access to affordable housing is crucial for our Toronto Centre communities. I look forward to 12 new affordable homes with support opening at 393 Dundas Street East. Toronto Centre is a diverse and caring community, and this project will ensure that our homeless community members have the stable housing and support they need to get back on their feet quickly.”
– Councillor Chris Moise (Toronto Centre)
“Affordable housing is critically important and essential to our city’s well-being. Our charity is thrilled to expand the transitional housing we provide for 2SLGBTQ+ youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness.”
– Lesley Davidson, President and CEO, YMCA of Greater Toronto
“At St. Jude Community Homes, we understand that addressing homelessness requires a fundamental solution: the creation of deeply affordable homes with essential supports. We are honored to work with the City of Toronto and Government of Canada and The Tawse Family Charitable Foundation to fulfill this crucial need for supportive housing. Through our collaborative efforts, we are poised to continue with positive changes for our community and the opportunity to help transform the lives of the individuals who will call it home.”
– Wayne March, Board Director & Resident, SJCH, and Carol Zoulalian, Executive Director, SJCH
“As a participant in the housing industry, it is our duty to contribute toward making Toronto a truly livable City for all. We are very proud to partner with St. Jude Community Homes to build this much needed deeply affordable supportive housing.”
– Moray Tawse, Executive Vice President, First National
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