Advancing the Public Builder Model

Friends,

Toronto residents deserve to feel secure when they move into a home in our city – secure that their home won’t become unaffordable in future years due to unfair rent increases.

A new staff report published today proposes a new Rental Housing Supply Program to address this challenge head-on. The Rental Housing Supply Program proposes an ambitious suite of measures designed to advance the City’s goal of supporting 65,000 rent-controlled homes by 2030. In addition to launching the new Rental Housing Supply Program, the report recommends immediately allocating approximately $351 million in capital funding to 18 affordable rental housing projects, to enable construction to start in 2024 and 2025.

We have seen that the private market alone will not deliver housing for everyone in Toronto. Over the last decade, left solely to the private market, too much of the housing supply has been focused on investment units, rather than providing the affordable housing options low- and moderate-income earners need to live in our city. I am heartened that for the first time in 40 years, the City is once again taking a public builder role to provide a much wider range of housing options than the private market will, and with the level of security of tenure that tenants deserve.

We have a duty as a city to ensure that our young people who are just starting their careers and families, our seniors who would like to age with dignity in the communities they’ve served, and our workers that do the low- and moderate-income jobs that we rely on, all have housing options they can afford in Toronto.

I look forward to supporting the Rental Housing Supply Program staff report when it is considered by the Planning and Housing Committee next Thursday, June 13: Agenda Item History - 2024.PH13.8 (toronto.ca)

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact my office.

Sincerely,

Gord


  • TTC bargaining with ATU Local 113 - Wheel-Trans Service to Continue
  • Community Consultation Meeting: Official Plan Amendment 680

  • Community Consultations on the Avenues Policy Review initiative
  • White Eagle Long-Term Care Residence Update

  • Lifeguards return to City Beaches!

  • City of Toronto celebrates Pride Month with month-long programming!

  • Traffic Calming (Speed Humps) on Various Streets in Ward 4
  • Ride to Conquer Cancer Road Closures - Saturday June 8th
  • Parkdale Village BIA: Calling All Vendors

TTC bargaining with ATU Local 113 - Wheel-Trans Service to Continue

In the event of a TTC strike, all Wheel-Trans contracted accessible taxis, and sedan taxis will operate without disruption for our customers who are able to use these vehicles. Please visit www.ttc.ca/bargaining for bargaining updates between the TTC and ATU.

 


Community Consultation Meeting: Official Plan Amendment 680

You are invited by the City Planning Division to join a virtual Public Community Consultation Meeting on June 19th, 2024, 6:00pm – 7:00pm.

The purpose of this meeting is to consult with the public on Official Plan Amendment 680 (OPA 680) which responds to Planning Act changes made through Bill 97 (Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023) that amends the definition of “area of employment”.

For the City’s Employment Areas to continue to benefit from special protections, timely changes are necessary to ensure that the Official Plan is aligned with the amended definition of “area of employment”.

To do this, OPA 680 proposes to change the land use permissions for the City’s General Employment Areas and Core Employment Areas as the definition of “area of employment” has narrowed the uses that are permitted within these areas by excluding institutional uses (e.g., schools, daycares, place of worship, etc.) and most commercial uses (e.g., standalone retail, standalone office, restaurants, hotels, etc.).

OPA 680, in combination with other official plan changes, will help to ensure the City’s Employment Areas are protected over the long term and maintain their economic viability.

For more information, please visit the project webpage here and register for the virtual Public Community Consultation Meeting here.


Community Consultations on the Avenues Policy Review initiative

You are invited by the City Planning Division to join virtual Community Consultation Meetings on Tuesday, June 25 at 10:30am or Thursday, July 4 at 6:00pm (to register click either link). The purpose of this meeting is to consult with residents and businesses in Toronto and East York on the Avenues Policy Review initiative, which is one part of the Housing Action Plan (HAP).

For more information about this and similar initiatives, please visit the project webpage.

Please also consider completing this short survey to share your thoughts on this initiative directly with staff and help inform the discussion during the upcoming meetings.

 


White Eagle Long-Term Care Residence, Update

Councillor Perks' Office has been advised by Chartwell, the owner of White Eagle Long-Term Care Residence, 138 Dowling Avenue, that they will not be renewing their operating license with the Ministry of Long-Term Care and Ontario Health. They are working towards a closure of the LTC residence by September 30, 2024.

They have shared that AgeCare, which has managed the residence for Chartwell since September 2023, will work together with Home and Community Care Support Services (HCCSS) to assist current residents in finding alternative accommodations and that the AgeCare team will continue to maintain operations of the home on Chartwell’s behalf until such time as all residents have been placed in alternative accommodations.


Lifeguards return to City Beaches!

Summer’s here! Lifeguards returned to duty this past weekend with the start of the City’s seasonal supervised beach program.

Toronto has 10 beaches with lifeguard supervision including Sunnyside Beach here in Ward 4.

Lifeguards are on duty daily from June to early August, 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and from mid-August to September, 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Lifeguards can easily be spotted by their distinctive red and yellow uniforms and are stationed in rowboats on the lake or along the shoreline of each beach.

Swimming is only recommended when lifeguards are on duty and within the supervised swimming areas indicated by red-over-yellow flags.

Information about beach safety and beach locations near you is available on the City’s Beaches webpage


City of Toronto celebrates Pride Month with month-long programming!

Pride Month brings Torontonians together to celebrate the history, courage and diversity of Toronto’s Two Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Intersex, Queer and Questioning (2SLGBTQ+) communities.

Torontonians are encouraged to explore Pride Month programming available at Toronto History Museums across the city this month, including:

Family Pride Celebration at Colborne Lodge

From 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 8, 2SLGBTQ+ families and allies are invited to an afternoon of outdoor games, activities and crafts, including a Drag Queen Storytime hosted by Lucy Flawless, at Colborne Lodge Museum (11 Colborne Lodge Dr).

Visit Pride Month – City of Toronto for more information on Pride Month programming.


Traffic Calming (Speed Humps) on Various Streets in Ward 4

We are pleased to provide an update on some of the traffic calming requests in Ward 4.

As you may know, there was an update to the Traffic Calming Policy that was approved at the November 2023 City Council session:

 https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.IE7.4

(Background reports could be found towards the bottom of that page)

One of the attachments is a comparison between the 2002 Traffic Calming Policy and 2023 Traffic Calming Policy:

 https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2023/ie/bgrd/backgroundfile-239910.pdf

Transportation Staff have been asked to review previous studies against the new traffic calming policy.

A number of Ward 4 streets have been included in the omnibus report that will be presented at the June 11th Toronto and East York Community Council (TEYCC): https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.TE14.36

Transportation Staff advised that they are aiming to prepare multiple traffic calming studies and reports to TEYCC.

Next Steps

The installations are based on the prioritization score and scheduling. Once the locations have been adopted by TEYCC, an approximate installation date will be determined by the VisionZero unit.

 


Ride to Conquer Cancer Road Closures - Saturday June 8th

The following roads will be closed for the Princess Margaret Ride to The Ride to Conquer Cancer from 6:30am-10:30am on Saturday June 8th. 

Road Closure Locations:

  • Lake Shore Blvd W (All westbound lanes), from Strachan Ave to Windermere Ave
  • Windermere Ave (Both northbound lanes including one through lane and left-turn lane in the southbound lane), from Lakeshore Blvd W to The Queensway
  • The Queensway (2 westbound curb lane), from Ellis Ave to The West Mall
  • The West Mall (northbound curb lane), from The Queensway to Burnhamthorpe Rd
  • Burnhamthorpe Rd (westbound curb lane), from The West Mall to Mill Rd

Parkdale Village BIA: Calling All Vendors

Food & Non-Food Vendor Applications Now Open. Join the Caribbean Food Fest!

We're looking for vendors to share the flavours and culture of the Caribbean! Sell your delicious food, unique crafts, or exciting merchandise.

Date: Sunday, August 4th

Time: Noon - 8 PM

Location: The Green P Parking Lot, Queen West/Callendar

To Apply:

Don't miss out on this chance to be part of a fun-filled community event! Hosted by Kolors Inc & Parkdale Village BIA.


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Friends,

The City officially launched the 2026 Budget today with a staff-prepared budget presented to the Budget Committee. The City’s budget process is an important time for us to come together as Toronto residents to envision the equitable and compassionate city we want to live in and shape the budget that will enable us to create it.

The Budget Committee was presented with an operating budget of $18.9 billion and a 2026-2035 capital budget and plan of $63.1 billion, the largest 10-year capital plan in the City’s history, to address aging infrastructure and invest in housing, transit and water. Key highlights from the 2026 staff-prepared budget include expanding the school nutrition program to all public schools, freezing TTC fares for a third year in a row, opening all library branches seven days a week, and additional support for renters and homeowners. The staff presentation from today’s 2026 Budget launch can be reviewed here: BU10.1 - 2026 Capital and Operating Budget Launch.

The next step in this process is for Toronto residents to share feedback to the Budget Committee in person or online at public meetings, by phone at Telephone Town Halls, or in writing, over the next two weeks. I encourage you learn about the various opportunities to get involved in the budget here: Get Involved in the Budget – City of Toronto.

I will also be hosting a 2026 Budget Virtual Town Hall on Monday, January 19 at 6pm for our Ward 4 community to discuss our vision for the city together. I would love to see your there. Please RSVP at gordperks.ca/2026budget

Following the public consultation period, the Mayor’s Proposed Budget will be released on February 1 and the Council-approved 2026 Budget will be determined at a Special City Council meeting on February 10.

I look forward to hearing and learning from you through this process, so that together we can build a more capable and caring Toronto. 

 

Sincerely,


In This Week's Newsletter

City-Wide News

  • CaféTO Program applications are now open
  • Winter Flood Information
  • Parks and Recreation’s Ice Facility Strategy is now underway

Ward 4 news

  • PHP4Climate info session on Home Retrofits & Heat Pumps 
  • Reminder: Scarlett Road Bridge Replacement Update and Community Meeting

 

Friends,

As we celebrate the holiday season and the start of a new year ahead, I want to share my gratitude for everyone that calls Toronto home. Each of us plays a role, year-round, in spreading cheer, building one another up, and contributing to the many communities we are fortunate to have in our city.  

I hope you take pride in the tremendous progress we have made together in 2025. Thanks to your participation and advocacy in shaping our City’s 2025 Budget and priorities, we have made significant investments in accelerating housing development, improving public transit, increasing access to free public space and delivering affordability relief for families.

Key successes in 2025 include expanding permissions for housing options (multiplexes up to six dwelling units) and small-scale retail in neighbourhoods to create more complete communities, installing dedicated bus lanes on Dufferin Street and Bathurst Street, opening Sunday service at all 100 Toronto Public Library branches, launching a Furnace Upgrade Program to help residents save on energy bills, and broadening the reach of the School Food Program and extending the nutrition program to CampTO locations.  

In my role as Chair of the Planning and Housing Committee, I have been deeply moved by the tireless work of City staff to successfully establish our City as a public builder. Whereas projects that rely on the private market alone have stalled, the City’s Public Developer housing projects are moving forward to deliver rent-controlled homes. As a result, in the first eight months of 2025, City-led and City-supported projects account for 65% of all housing starts achieved this year.

I look forward to continuing to work together in 2026, alongside community, civic society, and our civil service to build a more capable and caring Toronto.  

 

Sincerely,


In This Week's Newsletter

2025 Highlights

City-Wide News

  • Blue Bins: No longer City-run starting January 1st

Ward 4 news

  • Scarlett Road Bridge Replacement Update and Community Meeting

  • RapidTO: Dufferin St - Winter Pause & What's Next
  • Sorauren Avenue Construction Update – Dec 18th

  • Construction Update Maher Ave

  • Construction Update Van Stassen Blvd

  • Toronto Hydro Mavety St Between Dundas St W & Annette St

  • King Street West to Dundas Street West

  • Parkdale Hub West Block Community Space – REOI Final Information Session
  • Ritchie Avenue Parkette Playground Improvements – Online Survey

Friends,

I am delighted by the announcement this week that Mayor Chow will be introducing farecapping through the 2026 City Budget process. Starting September 2026, TTC riders will ride for free after taking 47 trips in a calendar month, with no upfront costs.

The new farecapping program works automatically for all riders using PRESTO, debit or credit, and no sign-up or extra steps from the rider will be required. The system will track the number of trips taken each calendar month, and once a rider reaches 47 trips (equivalent to the cost of a monthly adult transit pass), all additional rides that month are free. Fare capping benefits all fare types (adults, seniors, and youth) and resets at the start of each calendar month.

This is a fundamental shift in how Torontonians pay for transit. It takes the pressure off someone having to pay upfront for a monthly transit pass (on top of paying rent on the 1st of the month). After successful implementation in September 2026, the goal is to deepen the affordability benefits of this program. Mayor Chow has asked the TTC to begin financial planning for a 40-ride fare cap in the 2027 budget. If a rider commutes to and from work each weekday, this would effectively make transit free on weekends for that rider.

Farecapping, in combination with the investments our City is making in increasing subway, bus and streetcar service and maintenance, without raising TTC fares for the third straight year, makes life more affordable for working families who rely on public transit to live in our city.

I want to thank the community members that have been advocating for this change. With your continued support and involvement, we can build a transit system that works for all Torontonians. I look forward to seeing the farecapping program advance through the 2026 Budget, and encourage you to get involved in the public consultations process.

 

Sincerely,


In This Week's Newsletter

City-Wide News

  • Blue Bins: No longer City-run

  • City's Warming Centres are currently open

Ward 4 news

  • Illumination: Winter Crafts at Colborne Lodge

  • Upcoming service impacts and construction on the Lakeshore West Line

 

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