Mayor John Tory has proclaimed today as National Housing Day in Toronto. The proclamation supports the Federal Government’s designation of November 22 as a national day and as an opportunity to raise awareness and improve access to affordable housing across Canada.
Housing is essential to the inherent dignity and well-being of the person and to building sustainable and inclusive communities. The City of Toronto is committed to supporting the right to adequate housing, as recognized in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Although the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been wide-reaching, its impacts on residents across Toronto have not been equal. As seen over the past two years, the pandemic has revealed and deepened inequities for people based on their socio-economic status, gender, age, health status, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, employment status and housing situation. Through the HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan, the City has committed to addressing these challenges, and is working to advance the delivery of new housing opportunities and improving housing outcomes for its residents.
Since mid-December 2020, the City of Toronto has opened more than 570 supportive homes for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. This includes new modular housing, acquisitions and the City’s Rapid Rehousing Initiative that leverages vacant Toronto Community Housing (TCHC) units. Another 900 permanent, affordable and supportive homes are expected to be ready for occupancy over the next 12 months. There are currently a total of 109 City-led or City-supported active affordable housing development projects which will deliver an estimated 19,000 new affordable and supportive homes across the City.
Other key accomplishments in 2021 include City Council’s approval of: an Inclusionary Zoning policy; new definitions of affordable housing which will be based on incomes to better support low-and-moderate-income residents; a plan co-developed with Indigenous partners to approve 5,200 new affordable and supportive homes “for Indigenous by Indigenous” by 2030 with federal and provincial support; a new Multi-Unit Residential Acquisitions program to support non-profit and public acquisition of market properties to create permanently affordable housing; actions and investments to improve conditions for renters through the RentSafeTO Program; and enhancements to the Concept 2 Keys program to expedite the development review of affordable housing applications.
National Housing Day is a day to commemorate community partners and advocates from the Indigenous, non-profit, health, business and academic sectors who have helped the City and other orders of government to advance systemic and structural changes needed to ensure that Toronto continues to be a place where everyone has equal opportunity to live and succeed.
View today’s proclamation and others on the City’s 2021 Proclamations page.
Quotes:
“National Housing Day is an opportunity for us to reflect on what we have achieved and what still needs to be done to ensure that people in this city have access to affordable housing. We will continue to move forward with innovative programs and policies that move the needle closer to our goal of helping 341,000 households by 2030, but we can’t do this alone. I am committed to continuing to work with our partners in the provincial and federal governments to get more affordable housing and more supportive housing built. By working proactively with these other governments as well as the private sector and non-profit housing organizations, we can continue to maintain existing affordable homes and create new homes that are affordable.”
– Mayor John Tory
“As we mark National Housing Day, we recognize that having a safe, affordable and stable place to call home is fundamental to health and success within sustainable and successful communities. People experiencing homelessness and low-income renters in our city have been significantly impacted by housing affordability challenges particularly during the course of the pandemic. We are committed to accelerating our work in support of those experiencing homelessness, residents facing housing affordability issues and prioritizing equity-deserving groups including women, Black and other racialized groups and Indigenous residents.”
– Deputy Mayor Ana Bailão, (Davenport), Planning and Housing Committee Chair
Toronto is home to more than 2.9 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 the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, 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 Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.