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

Latest posts

Demonstrations Bylaw

Friends,

The City of Toronto is moving ahead with public consultation for a proposed demonstrations bylaw to protect vulnerable institutions, as directed by City Council (2024.CC24.2).

In February 2024, City Council directed the City Manager to develop a policy framework for the management and monitoring of rallies and protests, ensuring alignment with the City’s Human Rights and Anti-Harassment Policy.

The Report presented to City Council in December, 2024, presented a Policy framework that clarifies the City’s role, jurisdiction and municipal tools available to respond to demonstrations, including the role of applicable City divisions, and provided an overarching foundation of how the City coordinates its activities to determine an appropriate response based on the circumstances of the situation.

I supported the adoption of the Policy Framework.

However, this report included a recommendation (#3) that the City Manager report back with a proposed bylaw that limits demonstrations in our city. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.CC24.2

This was a very difficult decision however, I could not support this direction as I believe that restricting people’s ability to protest is a step backward. It takes away people’s rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I believe the preservation of these rights in their entirety is essential to protecting the most vulnerable segments of our society, and our democracy. I spoke to my reasoning for not supporting this direction; you can listen to it here.

The City is now moving ahead with the public consultation .

This multi-pronged public consultation approach will include the following:

Online Survey

Written Comments

Public Discussions

  • Additional opportunities to participate in public discussions will follow in April. More information on the dates of the public discussions will be communicated and posted on the City’s webpage once confirmed.

Information and additional details on the City’s public consultation can be found on the City’s webpage at: http://toronto.ca/PublicConsult.

The consultation is an opportunity to take part in this conversation. I encourage you to participate.

Sincerely,


In This Week's Newsletter

City Wide Updates 

  • Zoning for Housing – Upcoming City Planning Consultations
    • Garden Suites Monitoring Program
    • Expanding Permissions in Neighbourhoods for Sixplexes Citywide
  • Help shape the next Toronto Seniors’ Strategy 

Ward 4

  • Swansea Town Hall Community Centre - Seeking New Board Members & Assistant Executive Director 
  • Greenest City: Parkdale Seedy Sunday & Ecofair 2025 - Volunteer Call
  • Toronto Hydro Construction Notice - Glenlake Ave.
  • Road Rehabilitation Construction Notice - Evans Ave
  • Developments
    • 3459-3461 Dundas St W
    • 138 Dowling Ave

Anyone can experience homelessness. Everyone deserves shelter.

Friends,

Anyone can experience homelessness.

Shelters in our city provide essential support to individuals in immediate housing crisis, act as a stepping stone to permanent housing, reduce reliance on other high-cost services (e.g. emergency rooms), and bring people indoors, providing an alternative to sleeping in parks, sidewalks, or transit stations.

The positive impact of shelter service is evident in the stories of individuals who have successfully transitioned from shelter into permanent housing. Some have bravely shared their stories: Successful Pathways to Housing – City of Toronto .

Shelters provide critical services to help individuals experiencing homelessness gain stability as they work toward permanent housing.

The City has a 10-year plan to improve and expand our shelter system: Homelessness Services Capital Infrastructure Strategy (HSCIS).

One pillar of the 10-year strategy is building up to 20 permanent and purpose-built shelters, with a focus on expanding outside of the downtown core to address gaps in available services for people.     

Community engagement is a crucial component to supporting the successful integration of new shelters into the neighbourhood. The City is committed to engaging the community to support the program’s success – both for the individuals who will be staying at shelters and the surrounding community. The process includes communicating details about the shelter development process, responding to community inquiries and concerns, improving public understanding of shelter development and providing ongoing shelter updates. Details will be shared with each community as development of each site progresses and can be found online at toronto.ca/NewShelters

I am encouraged by the City’s Homelessness Services Capital Infrastructure Strategy (HSCIS) and will continue to use my voice and vote on Council to support improving and increasing our shelter infrastructure and expediting the City’s delivery of housing.

Sincerely,


In This Week's Newsletter

City Wide Updates 

  • Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy (TSNS) Community Networks Launching
  • Spring Flooding: Flood Preparedness Resources
  • Committee of Adjustment Annual Stakeholder Update and Engagement
  • Celebrate Community Story Telling at City Hall

Ward 4

  • BenTastic Magic Show at Parkdale Library
  • High Park Prescribed Burn
  • Construction Notice: Road Resurfacing on Weatherell Street from Rivercrest Rd to Jane St
  • Greenest City: Parkdale Seedy Sunday & Ecofair 2025

Potential Labour Strike & Disruptions

Friends,

Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 79, the union representing the City’s 27,000 city workers will be in a legal strike at 12:01 a.m., or one minute past midnight, on Saturday, March 8 if an agreement is not reached before then.

City Manager Paul Johnson has provided updates on city services that may be impacted in the event of a labour disruption.

A labour disruption would result in the closure of all 39 City-operated early learning and child care centres, as well as the closure and cancellation of programming at all City recreation centres including March Break camps. Refunds will be issued for any paid recreation programs that are affected and clients will not be charged for days that City-operated child care centres are closed.

The City will remain prepared to respond to emergencies if a labour disruption occurs. Emergency response by the Toronto Police Service, Toronto Fire Services and Toronto Paramedic Services will not be impacted. The Toronto Community Crisis Service will operate normally. Winter maintenance operations for roads and sidewalks will continue.

Seniors Services and Long-Term Care, TTC, Toronto Community Housing and Toronto Water operations will continue during a labour disruption. All City-operated and funded shelters, 24-hour respite and drop-in programs will remain open. The City will continue to activate additional services during colder temperatures, including Warming Centres.

Information on City services and bargaining updates can be found on the City’s website at www.toronto.ca/labour.

Sincerely,


In This Week's Newsletter

City Wide Updates 

  • Prepare for potential flooding
  • Bylaw update for Accessible Parking Permit holders
  • Reminder: Vacant Home Tax Declaration

Ward 4

  • Family Skate at Coca Cola Coliseum
  • Artists in Flux 2: Empowerment
  • CommunitiCare Health Taking New Patients
  • Greenest City: Parkdale Seedy Sunday & Ecofair 2025

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