The Decision Document is for preliminary reference purposes only.  Please refer to the Committee’s Report to Council or to the Minutes for the official record.

The Affordable Housing Committee recommends to the Executive Committee that:

1.         City Council endorse the Senate Sub-Committee Report "In From the Margins: A Call to Action on Poverty, Housing and Homelessness" prepared by The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, Subcommittee on Cities, which reinforces and supports the actions in Toronto’s Housing Opportunities Toronto: An Affordable Housing Action Plan 2010-2020.

2.         City Council direct that this endorsement and request for implementation be forwarded to the Prime Minister of Canada, the Federal Minister of Finance, the President of the Treasury Board, the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, the Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the Leaders of the Opposition Parties, the Provincial Premiers, Territorial Leaders and Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).

3.         City Council direct that City staff, working with civic partners, convene a Symposium for Action within six months to serve as a catalyst for implementing "In From the Margins" and to mobilize public and political support for its report and further federal engagement on poverty, housing and homelessness solutions.

4.         City Council encourage the Opposition Parties to initiate a Cross Party Hearing to allow Canadians to address the Government's response to the Senate Sub-Committee Report "In From the Margins".

5.         City Council encourage  the Senate to hold further hearings on the Government's response to their report; and

6.         City Council encourage the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Executive to develop an implementation strategy to address the Government's response to the Senate Sub-Committee Report "In From the Margins" and to present that framework to the Fall meeting of the Social Economic Development Committee and further to prepare a briefing paper for FCM's advocacy days at Parliament Hill in November, 2010.

Presentation by The Honourable Art Eggleton, P.C., Chair, Senate Sub-Committee on Cities on the Senate Sub-Committee Report, "In From the Margins: A Call to Action on Poverty, Housing and Homelessness."

The Affordable Housing Committee recommends to the Executive Committee that:

1.         City Council grant authority to provide capital funding of $1,198,800.00 from the Development Charges Reserve Fund – Shelters/Housing (XR2107) to YWCA of Greater Toronto, as a grant by way of a forgivable loan, to be used to complete construction of affordable housing at 110 Edward Street.

2.         City Council grant authority to provide capital funding of $967,032.00 from the Development Charges Reserve Fund – Shelters/Housing (XR2107) to TCHC, as a grant by way of a forgivable loan, to be used to complete construction of affordable housing at McCord site, West Don Lands.

3.         City Council grant authority to provide capital funding of $1,706,292.00 from the Development Charges Reserve Fund – Shelters/Housing (XR2107) to TCHC, as a grant by way of a forgivable loan, to be used to complete construction of affordable housing at Block 32 of the Railway Lands.

4.         City Council grant authority to provide capital funding of $347,652.00 from the Development Charges Reserve Fund – Shelters/Housing (XR2107) to Toronto Christian Resource Centre, as a grant by way of a forgivable loan, to be used to complete construction of affordable housing at 40 Oak Street.

5.         City Council grant authority to provide capital funding of $175,824.00 from the Development Charges Reserve Fund – Shelters/Housing (XR2107) to Woodgreen Community Housing Inc., as a grant by way of a forgivable loan, to be used to complete construction of affordable housing at 270 Donlands Avenue.

6.         City Council authorize and direct the Director, Affordable Housing Office, to enter into and execute, on behalf of the City, agreements with each of the five proponents to secure the funding, in addition to any other documents or agreements required to facilitate the completion of the funding recommended in this report and required by Proponents 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 Projects and on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Director, Affordable Housing Office and in a form approved by the City Solicitor; and

7.         The 2010 Approved Operating Budget for Shelter, Support and Housing Administration be increased by $4,395,600.00 gross zero net to provide additional funding for the five following non-profit housing developments: YWCA located at 110 Edward Street; TCHC located at the McCord site, West Don Lands; TCHC located at Block 32 Railway Lands; Toronto Christian Resource Centre (CRC) located at 40 Oak Street and Woodgreen Community Housing Inc. at 270 Donlands Avenue.

This report recommends the allocation of Development Charges Reserve Fund – Shelters/Housing (XR2107) monies to five previously approved affordable non-profit rental housing developments now under construction. These developments are recognized as capital projects and are eligible for development charge funding. Upon approval, $4,395,600.00 or $3,996.00 per unit for 1,100 units would become available to assist the five non-profit proponents. This allocation is available from the current uncommitted balance of the fund.

The recommended developments have been the subject of previous reports to Council for funding and are all currently under construction. They are contributing to the City’s goal of creating 1,000 new affordable homes annually as set out in the Housing Opportunities Toronto (HOT) ten-year plan. These projects were included in the City's Development Charges Background Study and Addendum and are eligible for development charge funding. The recommended funds from the Development Charges Reserve Fund will contribute towards the affordability and viability of the developments.

The five developments are:

• YWCA of Greater Toronto (YWCA) – Elm Centre, 110 Edward Street: 300 homes
• Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) – McCord site, West Don Lands: 242 homes
• TCHC – Block 32 Railway Lands – 427 homes
• Toronto Christian Resource Centre (CRC) – 40 Oak Street – 87 homes
• Woodgreen Community Housing Inc. – 270 Donlands Avenue – 44 homes

The Affordable Housing Committee recommends to the Executive Committee that:

1.         City Council, subject to authorizing the permanent closure of the untravelled portion of New Crescent between 697 and 699 Danforth Road, authorize the City to accept the Offer to Purchase from Habitat for Humanity Toronto Inc. (“Habitat”), to purchase a portion of untravelled New Crescent, designated as untravelled portion of New Crescent on Plan 1776, save and except SC101937 and except SC84473 and shown as Part 1 on Sketch No. PS-2003-100 (the “Highway”), in the amount of $460,000.00 less a Vendor Take Back Mortgage in the amount of $390,000.00,  substantially on the terms and conditions outlined in Appendix “A” to this report.

2.         City Council authorize each of the Chief Corporate Officer and the Director of Real Estate Services severally to accept the Offer to Purchase on behalf of the City.

3.         City Council authorize the City Solicitor to complete the transaction on behalf of the City, including paying any necessary expenses, amending the closing, due diligence and other dates, and amending and waiving terms and conditions, on such terms as she considers reasonable.

4.         City Council authorize the City to provide its consent  for Habitat to act as agent for the City, as owner, with respect to any searches, applications or inquiries, and to grant licences for a term of up to six months from the date of execution of the Offer, renewable for up to three additional months, for the purposes of entering onto the Highway to carry out pre-development activities and that the Director of Real Estate Services, or his designate, be authorized to execute the applications, consents and licences.

5.         City Council grant authority to direct a portion of the proceeds of closing to fund the outstanding expenses related to the Highway and the completion of the sale transaction; and

6.         City Council authorize and direct the City Solicitor to execute all documents and to complete all discharge transactions required to give effect to the City's vendor take back mortgage.

This report seeks approval for the sale of the untravelled portion of New Crescent, located between 697 and 699 Danforth Road, to Habitat for Humanity Toronto Inc. for its affordable housing building program in Toronto.

The Affordable Housing Committee recommends to the Executive Committee that:

1.         City Council authorize the City to accept the Offer to Purchase from Habitat for Humanity Toronto Inc. (“Habitat”), to purchase four City-owned parcels of vacant land at 32 St. Dunstan Drive, 36 St. Dunstan Drive, north of 19 Macey Avenue and  21 Macey Avenue, being part of Lots 90, 91 on Plan 1951 and Part of Lots 24 and 25 on Plan 2236, City of Toronto and shown as Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9 on Sketch No. PS-2008-063A (the “Sketch”), subject to an easement over Parts 6, 7, 8 and  9 on the Sketch in favour of Bell Canada (collectively known as the “Property”), in the amount of $1,000,000.00 less a vendor take back mortgage in the amount of  $920,000.00, substantially on the terms and conditions outlined in Appendix “A” to this report.

2.         City Council authorize each of the Chief Corporate Officer and the Director of Real Estate Services severally to accept the Offer to Purchase on behalf of the City.

3.         City Council authorize the City Solicitor to complete the transaction on behalf of the City, including paying any necessary expenses, amending the closing, due diligence and other dates, and amending and waiving terms and conditions, on such terms as she considers reasonable.

4.         City Council authorize the City to provide its consent for Habitat to act as agent for the City, as owner, with respect to any searches, applications or inquiries, and to grant licences for a term of up to six months from the date of execution of the Offer, renewable for up to three additional months, for the purposes of entering onto the Highway to carry out pre-development activities and that the Director of Real Estate Services, or his designate, be authorized to execute the applications, consents and licences.

5.         City Council grant authority to direct a portion of the proceeds of closing to fund the outstanding expenses related to the Property and the completion of the sale transaction; and

6.         City Council authorize and direct the City Solicitor to execute all documents and to complete all discharge transactions required to give effect to the City's vendor take back mortgage.

This report seeks approval for the sale of four vacant City properties known municipally as 32 St. Dunstan Drive, 36 St. Dunstan Drive, 21 Macey Avenue and a parcel north of 19 Macey Avenue to Habitat for Humanity Toronto Inc. for its affordable housing building program in Toronto.

The Affordable Housing Committee recommends to the Executive Committee that:

1.         City Council recommend that a tax exemption be granted to Nishnawbe Homes Inc. for municipal and school purposes for any affordable units in its non-profit development currently municipally known as 423-7 Dundas Street East for a period of 25 years.

2.         City Council grant authority to the Director, Affordable Housing Office, to negotiate a municipal capital facility agreement with Nishnawbe Homes to secure the ongoing affordability of the rental units being exempted from taxation; and

3.         City Council grant authority to and direct the Director, Affordable Housing Office, to enter into and execute, on behalf of the City, a municipal capital facility agreement, the City’s security and any other documents or agreements required to facilitate the completion of the funding from Miziwe Biik Development Corporation and required by Nishnawbe Homes Inc. to obtain and maintain its other sources of funding, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Director, Affordable Housing Office, and in a form approved by the City Solicitor.

This report seeks approval to recommend that Nishnawbe Homes Inc. be exempt from property taxes for a period of 25 years for its new 32-unit non-profit affordable rental housing development for aboriginal people at 423-7 Dundas Street East. The net present value of this 25-year exemption is $288,940.00. Development charges and planning fees have been waived for an estimated value of $170,890.00. The development was selected by Miziwe Biik Development Corporation as a result of a Request for Proposals process to receive funding under the Aboriginal Federal- Provincial Rental Program-GTA.

An exemption from property taxes will increase affordability and allow Nishnawbe Homes to offer rents below 80% of average market rents. The development will be a four-storey building with 15 bachelors, 13 one-bedroom and four two-bedrooms. Construction is expected to start in late 2010 or early 2011with occupancy scheduled for early 2012.

Upon approval, this development of 32 units will contribute to reaching the Housing Opportunities Toronto annual target of 1,000 units of new affordable housing.

The Affordable Housing Committee recommends to the Executive Committee that:

1.         City Council authorize the Director, Affordable Housing Office, in consultation with Toronto Community Housing, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, Toronto Housing Connections and affordable ownership development groups, to launch an enhanced marketing of ownership options aimed at social housing tenants and those on the waiting list;

2.         City Council request the Chair, Affordable Housing Committee to write to the Federal and Provincial governments to recommend they continue to make affordable ownership an eligible component of the Affordable Housing Program with sustained annual funding; and

3.         City Council request the Director Affordable Housing Office to report back to Budget Committee with the details of the grants to be awarded though the City’s new assisted ownership policy, once the details of the proposals have been identified.

In the last few years the City of Toronto has become more involved in supporting non-profit developers with their affordable home ownership initiatives, thus helping a small number of low-and-moderate income Torontonians buy affordable homes. A modest number of these homes have been successfully marketed to purchasers who were social housing tenants or on the Housing Connections social housing waiting list.

This report provides recommendations to expand and consistently apply these marketing efforts to these households.

Enhancing affordable ownership opportunities is consistent with Housing Opportunities Toronto: An Affordable Housing Action Plan 2010-2020, as adopted by Council in August 2009. This plan prioritizes improving affordability for low-and-moderate income home buyers through City-sponsored initiatives.

Based on this report, the Affordable Housing Office will work with local non-profit developers, Toronto Community Housing, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration and Housing Connections to make social housing tenants and those on the waiting list more aware of affordable ownership possibilities.

This marketing approach will be linked to new affordable ownership developments that receive funding from the City through the Affordable Housing Program – Homeownership Component or the City’s new assisted ownership policy and Home Ownership Assistance Fund.

The Affordable Housing Committee recommends to the Executive Committee that:

1.         City Council encourage the Federal Ministry of Human Resources, responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, to extend and enhance current Federal Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program (RRAP) investment in Toronto because of its positive impact in supporting housing renovation and renewal and economic activity.

This is a supplementary report arising from a report and recommendations to the Affordable Housing Committee of April 8, 2010.  At that meeting, the Committee requested the Director, Affordable Housing Office, to report to the next Committee meeting on the rental component of the Federal Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program (RRAP) and provide a breakdown of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) Toronto homeownership eligibility prices.

The report responds to the requests of the Affordable Housing Committee by providing an outline of current rental and ownership RRAP activity and the ward-by-ward breakdown of CMHC’s House Value Thresholds compared to actual residential assessment value.

This report responds to a motion from Councillor Palacio, Ward 17 Davenport, for staff to assess the feasibility of using a surplus Toronto Parking Authority site at 2054 Dufferin Street for either parkland or affordable ownership housing built by Habitat for Humanity Toronto.

The site is located in the interior of a city block, surrounded by homes and businesses that front onto Dufferin Street, Boon Avenue, Eversfield Road and Bloem Avenue. It can only be accessed by laneways. This “land-locked” aspect makes the site unsuitable for either a park or affordable housing because of inaccessibility, and more specifically, that it cannot be serviced by fire trucks. Due to the costs associated with providing fire truck access, Habitat for Humanity has determined that this site is not financially feasible for affordable housing.

The Affordable Housing Committee recommends to the Executive Committee that:

1.         City Council adopt a by-law amending the definition of "housing project" in By-law No. 282-2002, the Municipal Housing Facility By-law, to exempt the affordable rental housing units at 38 Abell Street from the restriction that affordable rental housing projects not be registered condominiums, in the form of the by-law appended as Attachment No. 1 to the report from the Director, Affordable Housing Office dated June 1, 2010, if the required Official Plan Amendment, being considered at a statutory public meeting during Toronto and East York Community Council's meeting to be held June 22, 2010, is adopted by City Council.

2.         City Council recommend an exemption from taxation for municipal and school purposes for the 20 affordable rental housing units to be operated by Toronto Artscape Inc. at 38 Abell Street for a period of twenty-five years, if the required Official Plan Amendment, being considered at a statutory public meeting during Toronto and East York Community Council's meeting to be held June 22, 2010, is adopted by City Council.

3.         Upon City Council adopting Recommendation No. 2, above, City Council adopt a by-law, pursuant to Section 3(1) of By-law 282-2002, the Municipal Housing Facility By-law, to permit the City to enter into a municipal housing project facility agreement.

4.         Upon City Council adopting Recommendation No. 3, above, City Council adopt a site specific by-law, pursuant to Section 5(2) of By-law 282-2002, the Municipal Housing Facility By-law, to exempt from taxation for municipal and school purposes, the 20 affordable rental housing units to be operated by Toronto Artscape Inc. at 38 Abell Street for a period of twenty-five years.

5.         City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make such stylistic and technical changes to the by-law referred to in Recommendation 1, above, as may be required.

6.         City Council grant authority to the Director, Affordable Housing Office to negotiate and enter into a municipal housing project facility agreement with Toronto Artscape Inc., or such other corporation controlled by it, to secure the ongoing affordability of the 20 rental housing units being exempted from taxation, on such terms and conditions, including the taking of security, as the Director, Affordable Housing Office considers appropriate and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor, if the Official Plan Amendment being considered at a statutory public meeting during Toronto and East York Community Council's meeting to be held June 22, 2010, is adopted by City Council; and

7.         City Council grant authority to and direct the Director, Affordable Housing Office to execute, on behalf of the City, the municipal housing project facility agreement, and any security or financial documents required to facilitate the tax exemption, upon Recommendation No. 2, above, being adopted.

At its meeting on May 11 and 12, 2010, City Council directed staff to immediately commence an Official Plan Amendment (OPA) process to allow 20 condominium registered rental units at 38 Abell Street (formerly known as 150 Sudbury Street) for the purpose of receiving municipal financial support for affordable rental housing.  These units would be owned and operated by Toronto Artscape Inc. (“Artscape”).

At its meeting to be held on June 22, 2010, Toronto and East York Community Council will be considering the proposed OPA at a statutory public meeting.  Together with the OPA, site specific amendments to the City’s Municipal Housing Facility By-law will allow Artscape to benefit from an exemption from property taxes and will allow them to offer rents at 80% of CMHC average market rents. The 20 new affordable rental units will be integrated into a condominium development.  This will also assist in meeting the City’s goal of creating 1,000 new affordable homes annually as set out in the Housing Opportunities Toronto (HOT) ten-year plan.  Construction is underway with occupancy scheduled for August 2010.

This report discusses and recommends site specific amendments to the City’s Municipal Housing Facility By-law, which are required to implement Council’s direction.

The Affordable Housing Committee referred the communication (June 3, 2010) from Councillor Paula Fletcher to the Director, Affordable Housing Office with requests to:

a.         work with the Salvation Army and the non-profit housing sector to determine the support for and economic feasibility of converting the surplus vacant building and site at 450 Pape Avenue to affordable non-profit live work housing for artists; and

b.         report to the August 16, 2010 meeting of the Executive Committee on the land acquisition possibilities for this project.

Requesting Affordable Housing Office staff to bring forward an update on their discussions with the Province about inclusionary zoning and to report this matter out to all councillors prior to the August 25, 2010 Council meeting.