We’ve updated how neighbourhoods can be built, by allowing more homes and different housing types.
Multiplexes
We are expanding opportunities for “missing middle” housing, from duplexes and low-rise walk-up apartments to multiplexes and garden and laneway suites.
- Multiplexes within low-rise neighbourhoods create a way to spread growth across the city, instead of concentrated in certain areas.
- In north Scarborough we’re proposing an increase to the number of homes allowed in a multiplex building from four to six units as a first step before implementing them city-wide. This item will be considered by City Council February 5, 2025.
Rental Housing Supply Program
- Investments in building rental properties, including 20 per cent designated affordable, where rental rates will be maintained long-term for low and moderate-income residents.
- To get more purpose-built rental projects moving, the City has approved 17 applications, with an initial investment of more than $450 million to deliver 7,175 new rental homes.
- The overwhelming response from the industry to this application process proves that the housing sector is ready to build and underscores the urgent need for action from all orders of government to accelerate new rental developments.
Multi-Unit Residential Acquisition (MURA)
The MURA Program provides funding to non-profit and Indigenous housing organizations to help with purchasing at-risk private market rental homes that may be lost due to financial pressures or other market factors and making them permanent, affordable rental homes.
- The City will invest $102 million through the 2024 MURA call for applications, which will protect more than 700 homes.
Faster Application Reviews
- We moved City staff focused on the creation of housing to bring together leadership and expertise for quick, quality results and service.
- This work has resulted in expedited review timelines, especially for affordable housing, meaning that we are making things happen faster and easier.
- Development decision times went from nearly two years, to less than six months, accelerating the development of housing.
Efficiency & Prioritization
- We are prioritizing approvals for occupancy permits because an occupancy permit approved is a home.
- We have made the condominium review process more efficient by streamlining processes, reducing requirements and creating a dedicated team focused on reviewing applications faster.
- The City has embraced new, efficient, sustainable ways of construction – which mean homes can be built faster than with traditional construction methods.
The City is investing in housing that meet the diverse needs of Torontonians, including affordable rental housing, deeply affordable (Rent-Geared-to-Income) housing, supportive housing and purpose-built rental housing. We’re working with Indigenous, non-profit and co-op housing providers like Na-Me-Res, Fred Victor and Dixon Hall to ensure deeply affordable and supportive housing geared to a person’s income is available now and into the future, but we need other government partners to step up and fill the funding gaps, and build on this momentum to address the crisis we face.
Supportive housing offers a safe, stable home while addressing challenges such as poverty, food insecurity, health, and isolation. It helps improve people’s overall well-being and supports them in building better futures.
The Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) commits $471 million to the City of Toronto to accelerate the supply of housing in Toronto, with a target of achieving 60,980 net new permitted housing units by the end of 2026. To date, we have received the first of four installments of $117 million and in 2024, 22,849 homes were permitted, which is 37 per cent of the three-year goal in the first year.
With this funding progress towards our targets are well underway:
- We have changed zoning permissions to enable a potential 61,000 new housing units in midrise buildings along our Avenues.
- We are undertaking an Apartment Infill Study to examine the idea of adding housing on vacant land around apartment buildings.
- A Rental Renovation Licence Bylaw has been established to help curb renovictions.
- HAF funding helps us implement housing solutions and get more housing built faster, including through MURA, City-supported affordable housing developments, and investment in process and systems improvements that significantly accelerate development application decisions.
- Because of the urgency of the housing crisis, through the 2024 MURA RFP process, an unprecedented $102 million is being invested to advance 19 projects that will protect more than 700 homes.
- Over the full HAF commitment, it will be accelerating the permitting for nearly 12,000 net new homes, including Purpose Built Rental, affordable rental and Rent-Geared-to-Income homes – part of the overall target of 60,980.
- We have made significant progress under the Housing Accelerator Fund, advancing several key initiatives, including:
- Re-structuring of development and growth services to increase the City’s capacity and expedite the approval of new development applications.
- Developing the Community Housing Pre-development fund
- New MURA calls for applications.
- Developing and launching the new Rental Housing Supply Program.
The City continues to accelerate housing delivery and complete the remaining HAF milestones.
