Confirmation of Minutes

 

On motion by Councillor Pam McConnell, the Minutes of the Affordable Housing Committee held on January 20, 2009 were confirmed.

The Affordable Housing Committee recommended to the Executive Committee, for its meeting on June 2, 2009 that:

 

1.         City Council endorse "Housing Opportunities Toronto: An Affordable Housing Action Plan 2010 - 2020" as the plan to address Toronto's affordable housing challenges over the next ten years, including the 67 proposed actions as provided in Attachment 1 to this report.

 

2.         Recommendation 47 in Attachment 1 to this report be amended by adding a new section e to read as follows:

 

“e.        Non-profit and non-profit co-operative housing providers because they provide long term affordability and stability for residents.”

 

3.         Recommendation 48a in Attachment 1 to this report be amended by adding:

 

(i)         the word “commercial” to the phrase “live/work studios” so that it reads as follows:

 

“a.        Encouraging the creation of affordable commercial live/work studios to foster the development of Creative Toronto.”

 

(ii)        a new section c to read as follows:

 

“c.        work with providers of affordable housing to ensure that small non-profit commercial space be created alongside or integrated into new projects to increase business opportunities and renew streams for housing projects and residents.”

 

4.         a ten-year implementation plan arising from the 67 proposed actions be developed as part of the 2010 Budget process and that any City investment be subject to Council approval and the annual capital and operating budget processes.

 

5.         the Deputy City Manager forward “Housing Opportunities Toronto: An Affordable Housing Action Plan 2010 – 2020” to the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing as Toronto’s contribution to the creation of a provincial long- term housing strategy; and

 

6.         the Deputy City Manager forward “Housing Opportunities Toronto: An Affordable Housing Action Plan 2010 – 2020” to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, other Ontario municipalities, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, to inform local housing strategies and advocacy efforts, including influencing provincial and federal action on affordable housing.

The Affordable Housing Committee requested the Director, Affordable Housing Office:

 

A.        to review the submission (May 19, 2009) by Michael Shapcott, Director, Affordable Housing and Social Innovation, The Wellesley Institute (AH9.1.5) and other presenters and prepare a spread sheet that would reflect targets based on their submissions;

 

B.         in consultation with the Chief Planner, Executive Director, City Planning, to report on a possible early intervention strategy to:

 

(i)         prevent the owners of current rental buildings from marketing them as condo units before conversion approval;

 

(ii)        warn prospective purchasers of rental units being marketed as condos of the difficulties of converting rental to condos in Toronto and the risks associated with such an investment (see Recommendation 30b);

 

C.        to report on the success of the multi-residential apartment building (MRAB) strategy and make recommendations for its enhancement and improvement (see Recommendation 32b);

 

D.        in co-operation with the City Solicitor and Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs, draft amendments to provincial statutes and regulations that will enhance the City of Toronto's powers to implement an inclusionary housing program and tax increment financing to increase affordable housing opportunities in new developments (see Recommendation 45);

 

E.         to report on how to re-calibrate the Official Plan housing policy component governing larger sites to include projects with multiple units on smaller sites; and

 

F.         to report annually on residential development projects exempted from City affordable housing policies.

 

The following motion by Councillor Moscoe was ruled out of order by the Chair as the matter is beyond the Committee's mandate:

 

That the word 'encouraging' be replaced with the word 'mandating' in Recommendation 46d so that it reads as follows:

 

"d.        Mandating the provision of affordable housing opportunities through the planning approvals process."

Under the stewardship of Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, Chair of the Affordable Housing Committee, a comprehensive consultation began in 2007 to engage the public and stakeholders in discussions about Toronto’s affordable housing challenges and opportunities.

 

This report presents the outcome of those consultations, “Housing Opportunities Toronto: An Affordable Housing Action Plan 2010 – 2020,” for Council consideration and approval. The HOT Action Plan is the City’s plan to address Toronto’s affordable housing challenges over the next ten years.  It sets out eight strategic themes and 67 actions to assist 258,000 households and guide housing investments by all governments through 2020.

 

The HOT Action Plan will be submitted to the Province of Ontario as the City’s contribution to the creation of a long-term provincial affordable housing strategy.

Presenting the Housing Opportunities Toronto Action Plan 2010-2020 and its accompanying staff report to Members of City Council.

The Affordable Housing Committee recommended to City Council, for its meeting on May 25, 2009 that:

 

1.         City Council approve the following two new affordable housing projects ( the “Projects”) to be funded through the Affordable Housing Program and managed by TCHC

 

(a)        Toronto Community Housing Corporation’s West Don Lands project on Blocks 23 (the McCord site);

(b)        Toronto Community Housing Corporation’s Railway Lands project on Block 32 and 36;

 

2.         City Council approve additional funding for the following two previously approved affordable housing projects to be funded through the Affordable Housing Program

 

(a)        Parkdale United Church Foundation Incorporated at 1355 King Street West; and

(b)        Woodgreen Community Housing Inc. at 270 Donlands Avenue

 

3.         City Council grant authority to exempt from taxation for municipal and school purposes and waive fees and charges for any affordable units in the TCHC housing projects;

 

4.         City Council authorize the Director, Affordable Housing Office to negotiate municipal housing facility agreements with TCHC;

 

5.         Authority be granted to designate the TCHC housing projects listed in Recommendation No.1 as social housing allowing all or part of the projects relief from normal parking standards; and

 

6.         The Director, Affordable Housing Office be authorized and directed to enter into and execute, on behalf of the City, any municipal housing facility agreements, any security or financing documents or agreements, and any other documents or agreements required to facilitate the completion of the funding from the Province and required by the housing provider to obtain and maintain its other sources of funding and to approve any changes to the projects that the Director deems to be in the best interest of the City or the Project and on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Director, Affordable Housing Office and in a form approved by the City Solicitor.

This report supports the development of new affordable housing through new federal/provincial economic recovery investment opportunities.  Specifically it seeks approval of four non-profit affordable housing developments for funding under the new federal/provincial Affordable Housing Program (“AHP”). The four developments, totalling 362 units, are intended to start construction within the next 12 months and assist in the economic recovery.

 

The recommended developments have been the subject of previous reports to Council and are already endorsed as affordable housing priorities.  The four developments include additional affordable rental housing at Toronto Community Housing Corporation’s (TCHC) developments at the McCord site in the West Don Lands and the Railway Lands as well as the Parkdale United Church Foundation (PUCF) development at 1355 King Street West and the Woodgreen Community Housing development at 270 Donlands. The report recommends property tax exemptions as well as development charges and fee and permit waivers for the two TCHC developments.  Property tax exemptions, development charges and fee and permit waivers have previously been approved by Council for the PUCF and Woodgreen developments. 

 

Approval of these developments will provide some 905 person years of employment and upon completion provide housing for up to 900 Toronto residents. The McCord development will provide accommodation for seniors. Overall these investments will contribute to the prosperity of Toronto and Council’s goal of creating 1,000 new affordable homes annually.

Requesting Affordable Housing Committee to submit its recommendations directly to Council at its May 25 and 26, 2009 meeting, on the new projects proposed under the first phase of the Federal/Provincial new affordable housing stimulus program, including the completion of any projects under the existing Affordable Housing Program.

The Affordable Housing Committee recommended to City Council, for its meeting on May 25, 2009 that:

 

1.         authority be granted to provide capital funding of $150,624 from the Development Charges Reserve Fund and $1,389,376 from the Capital Revolving Fund to Parkdale Activity - Recreation Centre (Toronto), as a grant by way of forgivable loan, to be used to complete construction of the affordable housing project at 194 Dowling Avenue.

 

2.         authority be granted to provide capital funding of $97,475 from the Development Charges Reserve Fund and $577,525 from the Capital Revolving Reserve Fund to St. Clair West Affordable Housing (Ossington) Group Incorporated, as a grant by way of forgivable loan, to be used to complete construction of the affordable housing project at 1120 Ossington Avenue.

 

3.         authority be granted to provide capital funding of $497,242 from the Development Charges Reserve Fund and $1,002,758 from the Capital Revolving Reserve Fund to St. Clare’s Multifaith Housing Society, as a grant by way of forgivable loan, to be used to complete construction of the affordable housing project at 48 Abell Avenue (now know by the new municipal address of 180 Sudbury Street).

 

4.         authority be granted to assign nine City rent supplements to St. Clair West Affordable Housing (Ossington) Group Incorporated.

 

5.         authority be granted for the City to enter into an amendment of the Contribution Agreements with Parkdale Activity - Recreation Centre (Toronto), St. Clair West Affordable Housing (Ossington) Group Incorporated, and St. Clare’s Multifaith Housing Society to include the increased funding, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Director and in a form approved by the City Solicitor.

 

6.         the 2009 Approved Operating Budget for Shelter, Support and Housing Administration be increased by $3,715,000.00 gross $0 net to provide additional funding for the three affordable housing developments located at: 194 Dowling Avenue; 1120 Ossington Avenue; and 180 Sudbury Street; and

 

7.         the Director of the Affordable Housing Office be authorized and directed, on behalf of the City, to execute the amending agreements and any other documentation to give effect to these recommendations.

At its meeting on February 23-25, 2009, Council was informed that a number of approved affordable housing developments might require additional financial assistance once their tender prices were known.  Three such developments have recently completed construction tendering processes and have confirmed their final construction pricing.

 

The tender processes now provide cost certainty to start and complete the developments.  These developments are recognized as city capital projects and are eligible for development charge funding. This report recommends funding of $745,341 from the Development Charges Reserve Fund – Shelters/Housing (XR2107), and $2,969,659 from the Capital Revolving Reserve Fund (XR1058), to assist the respective proponents in proceeding with construction.

 

The construction of these three developments will create approximately 600 person years of employment and upon completion provide housing for up to 374 Toronto residents.

 

The affordable housing developments are:

• Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre – 194 Dowling Avenue: 29 homes
• St. Clair West Affordable Housing Group – 1120 Ossington Avenue: 20 homes
• St. Clare’s Multifaith Housing Society – 48 Abell Avenue (now known by new address of 180 Sudbury Street): 190 homes

Requesting Affordable Housing Committee to submit its recommendations directly to Council at its May 25 and 26, 2009 meeting, on the new projects proposed under the first phase of the Federal/Provincial new affordable housing stimulus program, including the completion of any projects under the existing Affordable Housing Program.

At the City Council meeting on February 24, 2009, the Director of the Affordable Housing Office was directed to report to the next meeting of the Affordable Housing Committee with a report on the City’s contributions to Habitat for Humanity’s affordable housing developments in Toronto over the past two years. This report satisfies that request.

Respecting AH8.11 - 1135 Dundas Street East - request for consideration as affordable housing.

Respecting AH8.10 - 290 Old Weston Road - request for consideration as affordable housing