The filed record
Taking Action to Protect Tenants from Extreme Heat - by Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, seconded by Councillor Josh Matlow
The Public Gallery wrote no story on this item. What follows is the city’s own record of what happened to it, as filed: nothing on this page is summarised or scored by us.
The decision
2021-07-14 · Toronto City Council · amended
As filed
City Council on July 14, 15 and 16, 2021, adopted the following: 1. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, the Director, Environment and Energy, the Chief Resilience Officer, and request the Medical Officer of Health, in consultation with other appropriate Divisions, to report back to the Planning and Housing Committee in the fourth quarter of 2021 on the feasibility of the following outstanding from Item LS25.1: a.
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require that all existing apartment buildings provide air conditioned units or an air conditioned cool room in the building; b. require that all new apartment buildings have air conditioning and add measures that enable passive cooling; and c. require that all apartment buildings undergo retrofits, such as new windows, heavy-duty screens, cladding and other passive and active cooling systems, and updated heating systems to mitigate the negative health impacts of heat on tenants. 2. City Council direct the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, in consultation with the Medical Officer of Health, to identify and implement increased access to cool spaces that meet the needs of vulnerable individuals for the summer of 2021, considering COVID-19 restrictions and closure of regular cooling centers and drop-ins.
On the agenda
As the city filed it
Extreme heat is a current health risk. As our climate continues to change, extreme heat events/heat waves are expected to increase in frequency, length and severity, resulting in increased health risks for many Canadians. According to Health Canada, the annual number of extremely hot days in Toronto and other major cities across Canada is expected to more than double over the next 30 years. Seniors, people living with disabilities or chronic health conditions, infants and young children, and socially disadvantaged individuals are more vulnerable to health effects related to extreme heat.
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These effects can include serious illness and even death. Summer has just started and there have already been record-breaking temperatures across Canada. A devastating heatwave has been linked to almost 500 sudden and unexpected deaths in British Columbia so far this year. Here in Toronto, we have already had about 37 days with temperatures above 25 degrees celsius and 9 days above 30 degrees celsius without the humidex. As a Council, we have adopted numerous motions at Committee and Council requesting feasibility reports from staff that have not been followed through. While staff have reported back on the environmental impacts and mitigation measures such as the opening of cooling centres, emissions performance standards, and retrofits, we have not yet heard back on the findings of the interdivisional working group to identify strategies to address excessive indoor temperatures in apartment buildings. Heat was identified as a basic necessity and minimum temperatures regulated. It's long overdue that air conditioning be identified as a basic necessity and maximum temperatures regulated.
Staff recommended
Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, seconded by Councillor Josh Matlow, recommends that: 1. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, the Director, Environment and Energy, the Chief Resilience Officer, and request the Medical Officer of Health, in consultation with other appropriate Divisions, to report back to the Planning and Housing Committee in the fourth quarter of 2021 on the feasibility of the following outstanding from Item LS25.1: a.
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require that all existing apartment buildings provide air conditioned units or an air conditioned cool room in the building; b. require that all new apartment buildings have air conditioning and add measures that enable passive cooling; and c. require that all apartment buildings undergo retrofits, such as new windows, heavy-duty screens, cladding and other passive and active cooling systems, and updated heating systems to mitigate the negative health impacts of heat on tenants. 2. City Council direct the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, in consultation with the Medical Officer of Health, to identify and implement increased access to cool spaces that meet the needs of vulnerable individuals for the summer of 2021, considering COVID-19 restrictions and closure of regular cooling centers and drop-ins.
On the record
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