Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods
Friends,
Next week, at the Planning and Housing, staff will be presenting a report to support expanding housing options in "Neighbourhoods". This report presents a draft Official Plan Amendment to permit townhouses and small scale apartment buildings in residential zones, along major streets, and designated Neighbourhoods across the city.
The report seeks endorsement of Planning and Housing Committee to undertake consultation on the proposed Official Plan amendments and zoning approach. Consultation is proposed for October 2023, after which both the Official Plan and Zoning By-Law Amendments will be brought together to Planning and Housing Committee for consideration early in 2024.
This report presents a proposal to permit townhouses and small-scale apartment buildings up to 6 storeys and 30 units on properties that are located along major streets and designated Neighbourhoods in the Official Plan.
Major streets are an opportunity for gentle intensification in Toronto’s Neighbourhoods.
This past weekend I attended the Roncesvalles Polish Festival and the Ukrainian Festival where I had the privilege of speaking to many of you. It was a wonderful day of celebration and solidarity.
Sincerely,
Gord
- HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan Update
- Toronto Police Board's Budget Committee Meetings
- Public Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Network Study
- High Park Station Easier Access Construction Update
- High Park - Pleasure Pad and Ball Hockey Pad closures
- Swansea Town Hall Lunch & Learn - Foil Fraudsters
- Request a "Slow Down" Sign
- Community Environment Day this Saturday
Annual Update on progress towards HousngTO 2020-2030 Action Plan
Today, the City of Toronto released its HousingTO 2022-2023 Update report highlighting progress made toward implementing the 10-Year HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan (HousingTO Plan).
The report focuses on the progress made across the HousingTO Plan’s key strategic priorities:
- Advancing a human rights-based approach to housing
- Increasing the supply of affordable and supportive homes
- Protecting the existing supply of homes
- Assisting renters
- Supporting climate resilience
- Enhancing cross-sector and intergovernmental partnerships
- Improving accountability and transparency
The report highlights the significant and tangible key actions taken in 2022 and up to June 2023 including the:
- Completion of 1,082 net new affordable and supportive homes for people experiencing or who are at risk of homelessness
- Approval of 3,340 net new affordable rental homes
- Allocation of more than 3,300 housing benefits through the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB) program to help people maintain their homes
- Allocation of $46 million in funding through the Multi-Unit Residential Acquisition (MURA) program for non-profit organizations to acquire and permanently secure approximately 260 affordable rental homes
- Launch of new digital dashboards to increase transparency and accountability and to track the City's progress towards advancing the HousingTO Plan on a public platform
The report also proposes to advance a major partnership initiative aimed at supporting the creation of new non-profit co-operative (co-op) homes while ensuring existing co-ops continue to be safe, secure and affordable.
The HousingTO Plan calls on the federal, provincial and municipal governments to invest a combined $33.2 billion over 10 years with the following investment breakdown:
- City investment of $14.6 billion ($8 billion already committed)
- Federal request of $10 billion ($2.3 billion already committed)
- Provincial request of $8.6 billion ($1 billion already committed)
The HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan 2022-2023 Annual Progress Update report is available at: https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.PH6.1
Toronto Police Board's Budget Committee Meetings
The Toronto Police Services Board’s Budget Committee will hold a meeting on Monday September 25, 2023 from 10-11:30AM. The meeting will proceed as a hybrid meeting.
At its meeting of July 27, 2023, the Board established a Budget Committee for the purpose of reviewing the Toronto Police Service’s 2024 capital, operating, and the Parking Enforcement Unit’s budget requests as well as the Board’s 2024 operating budget request, as they develop.
The Budget Committee will hold three meetings:
- September 25, 2023: 10:00 – 11:30AM
- October 17, 2023: 10:00 – 11:30AM
- November 27, 2023: 10:00 – 11:30AM
The agenda for the September 25, 2023 meeting is available on the Board’s website at: https://www.tpsb.ca/meetings.
Information about the budget and budget process can be found here: https://tpsb.ca/budget
Sign-up to make a deputation
If you wish to sign up to make a deputation on an item, please use our Making a Deputation sign-up form: https://www.tpsb.ca/meetings/making-a-deputation. Registered deputants will have the option of making their deputation in-person or virtually. Virtual deputations would be available either by video via WebEx, or audio-only by phone.
The request must be received no later than 12PM on Friday September 22, 2023.
In addition, members of the public and media are welcome and encouraged to attend the meeting as an observer through our livestream at: https://www.youtube.com/live/IQ_4KgVzJGs
As with all meetings, a recording of this meeting will be posted and archived to the Toronto Police Service YouTube account at https://www.youtube.com/TorontoPolice for members of the public to access later at their convenience.
Public Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Network Study: public survey
The City of Toronto is developing a Public Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Network Study to help ensure that public charging will be available where and when it is needed across Toronto, to achieve our goals for sustainable transportation and EV uptake. We’re asking for input from all residents - current and potential EV owners, and drivers and non-drivers – to help us identify where and when public EV charging will be needed to meet demand as more people and businesses switch to electric vehicles and to better understand how public EV charging fits into an equitable low-carbon transportation system in Toronto.
There is an online survey and more information available at toronto.ca/ev.
TTC High Park Station Easier Access Project: construction update
As part of the TTC’s Easier Access Project to make High Park Station accessible to everyone, there will be daytime construction work on Saturday, September 23.
The work will take place in the construction site in front of High Park Station on Quebec Ave and will include drilling holes into concrete to install steel rods as part of building the elevator structures. Efforts will be made to keep noise levels to a minimum.
Staff will be present in the general area to monitor the work and ensure safety.
High Park - Pleasure Pad and Ball Hockey Pad closure due to emergency work
The headers for these rinks are not functioning properly and require improvements in order to enable a successful skating season this winter. This work is anticipated to occur between September 20, 2023 and November 1, 2023.
Until Nov 1st:
- The south rink pad with the 3 Pickleball courts will be closed all the time, since they will have a large amount of equipment staged on this pad and a significant amount of welding work occurring here.
- The north rink pad with the 5 Pickleball courts on it must be closed each weekday from 7am – 4pm for safety while their work is ongoing. However they are going to be able to leave these 5 courts open each day from 4pm onward to enable evening play. They will also not be working on weekends, so these 5 courts are also accessible all day Saturday and Sunday.
Swansea Town Hall Lunch & Learn - Foil Fraudsters: a workshop on how to spot scams
Contact my office to request a "Slow Down" lawn sign
You can help remind the public to slow down and to be aware by displaying “Please Slow Down” lawn signs in your neighbourhood.
Contact Councillor Perks' office at [email protected] to request your sign.
Community Environment Day - September 23
