City Approves New Funding for Toronto Community Housing

By Penny Munoz

Toronto City Council approved an action on housing and new funding for Toronto Community Housing (TCH) that will support the TCH’s efforts to improve landlord excellence.The 10-year plan is the first long-term capital funding plan implemented in Toronto that will assist the TCH with housing repairs. The City will provide $864 million for TCH repairs and have requested that the federal and provincial governments match their contributions or one-third of the $2.6 billion in new repair costs.

In accordance with a nationwide movement to motivate the federal government to accept long-term housing strategies, Council also approved a Federation of Canadian Municipalities resolution which seeks to address the country’s housing crunch.

"We expect the federal and provincial governments to step up, rather than step back," Councillor Bailão said. "That's why we've launched the Close the Housing Gap campaign to persuade them to pay their fair share for social housing and provide a long-term affordable housing plan."

The Council also ratified Putting People First – Moving Forward which will include a one year update on recommendations provided by the Putting People First report. The City and the TCH have secured $93.5 million through mortgage refinancing, $65 million through the approved sale of assets, and a total of $158.5 million for capital repairs identified after a year of having implemented Putting People First. As a second part of the report, Moving Forward will provide closer insights on the TCH’s capital repair challenges including housing that is over 40 years old, with certain public housing sites in need of extensive revitalization or replacement. The TCH has been working on a series of investigations and consultations that have sought information from tenants and non-profit housing organizations to better understand their interests and desires. Approving Putting People First – Moving Forward will further enhance the process of housing transformation and landlord excellence.

In order to improve the current system, council also approved an amended shareholder’s direction, which is set to increase accountability, remove outdated references, update reporting procedures and increase transparency within the TCH.

About the TCH:

Toronto Community Housing is the largest social housing provider in Canada. With 58,500 households, the TCH provides housing for approximately 164,000 low and moderate-income tenants. Run by a 13-member Board of Directors appointed by the City of Toronto, the initiative is “to provide affordable housing, connect tenants to services and opportunities, and work together to build healthy communities.” For more information about the TCH, visit http://www.torontohousing.ca/about