All three levels of government share a common goal to create more housing to tackle affordability and provide homes for our growing population. Although legislation was recently introduced provincially that impacts our work, we share the same commitment to create more housing as quickly as possible. Voters in the last municipal election provided a mandate to me and to this council to make bold moves on housing. The City of Toronto continues to face a major housing and homelessness crisis. Over the last eight years, Council efforts have consistently focused on expanding a range of housing opportunities in all wards, including affordable, supportive and market homes, and is making good progress on delivering HousingTO. This includes the creation of the Open Door program, using our own lands to deliver new affordable rental and market housing through the Housing Now Initiative, and approving nearly 400,000 homes in the last 10 years. However, despite a multitude of initiatives by the City over that time affordability has worsened and a more aggressive approach is required to increase housing opportunities and enhance affordability. This includes looking at both new policy approaches and new models of housing delivery, such as approving as-of-right zoning for gentle density in neighbourhoods, and a new approach to simplifying housing delivery similar to Edmonton’s overhaul of city-wide zoning by-laws and opportunities for new programs that may further enable the opportunity to deliver new homes. These efforts are not intended to create towers on every corner, but to support new forms of housing that will support our diverse communities, create space in our city for both renters and owners, and foster the expansion of communities in a fashion that is both responsible and sustainable. Council members heard loudly and clearly in the municipal election that housing is an issue our residents want the municipal government - and all governments - to address as quickly as possible. I campaigned and was elected on a mandate to get more housing, including affordable and supportive housing built and to get it built faster. Now is the time for us to take action to deliver on the mandate to get homes built. This term must be the moment when we pivot to embrace the changing nature of the City and its need for growth. As Chair of the Planning and Housing Committee, Councillor Brad Bradford will lead on these items through committee. Councillor Bradford and I are united in our steadfast commitment to address this urgent issue. We must move quickly to change City policies and advance new programs that will create new housing, be solutions-oriented, and demonstrate a strong commitment from Council to deliver the reforms needed to increase new housing and prioritize the supply of affordable and market rental housing that our residents and newcomers desperately need. Over the last several decades, many neighbourhoods in the City have lost population while others have been created from vacant land. We have a duty to current and future residents to distribute growth more equitably and ensure that we create walkable and complete neighbourhoods. Adding ownership, market rental and affordable rental housing needed to address the lack of housing supply, should complement and enhance existing communities.
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