Housing Action Plan 2022-2026- Priorities and Work Plan

The Housing Action Plan (HAP) priorities for the 2022-2026 term of Council, outlined in this report, include targeted timelines for the approval and implementation of a wide range of actions, policies and programs to increase the supply of housing within complete, inclusive and sustainable communities with the critical infrastructure to support growth. The HAP actions focus on: removing policy and zoning barriers to building housing; leveraging public lands to increase housing supply; preserving existing rental homes; supporting the development of a range of purpose-built rental homes (including market and non-market) through new and strengthened housing policies and programs; and supporting the community sector (including non-profit and co-op housing providers) to modernize and grow their stock. To help inform this report, and as directed by City Council through Item 2022 EX34.1, a Rental Housing Opportunities Roundtable ("Roundtable") was initiated in January 2023 to support the City in identifying short-term pressures, current constraints and future opportunities to increase rental housing supply within the current challenging economic climate. The Roundtable, comprised of a range of housing policy and development experts as well as City and CreateTO staff, identified a number of challenges to building rental housing in Toronto, as well as actions necessary to help 'unlock' supply. Attachment 2 to this report is an independent report titled "Perspective on the Rental Housing Roundtable" which will also be used to support future recommended changes to the City's Housing Now Initiative and Open Door Program, to be considered by the Planning and Housing Committee and City Council in April and May 2023, respectively. While this report includes a work plan with a number of initiatives and actions to be taken between 2023 and 2026, there are key deliverables being brought forward immediately to advance the HAP and improve public reporting and accountability. These include: recommendations to Council in March to establish a new Council Advisory Body to support the City in advancing its commitment to the progressive realization of the right to adequate housing, as set out in the Toronto Housing Charter; the launch of publicly accessible data dashboards to track affordable rental homes approved, under construction, built, demolished, and replaced through rental replacement Official Plan policies; and the release of the first version of the 'Toronto Data Book' which will provide an overview of housing indicators that impact the health of Toronto's housing system, including availability and affordability of appropriate homes to meet the needs of its current and future residents. Additionally, in April 2023, staff will bring forward a final recommendations report to enable as-of-right zoning for multiplexes (up to 4 housing units) in all Neighbourhoods citywide. Staff will also recommend an approach to meeting the Province's requested housing pledge for 285,000 homes, including consideration of housing tenure, type and affordability based on Toronto residents' housing needs and incomes. The City is on track to be able to support the housing pledge, which will be reported at the April 2023 Planning and Housing Committee meeting. The report will outline the various actions and initiatives, including the HAP that the City is advancing to achieve the 285,000 homes target. Addressing Toronto's complex housing challenges requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-community approach. While this report and attached work plan outline numerous actions that the City will take to address housing supply, adequacy and affordability for residents, success of the HAP will require new policy, program and financial tools from both the federal and provincial governments, as well as participation from the Indigenous, non-profit and private sectors. As noted in the attached report from the Roundtable, "There is [also] a recognition that more deeply affordable and supportive housing is necessary that will not be provided by the market sector alone, and will require ongoing public interventions and collaborations between all orders of government with Indigenous, non-profit and private sector housing providers." Work on the HAP complements the City's ongoing efforts to advance the ten-year HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan ("HousingTO Plan") aimed at supporting current and future low-and moderate-income households. Working together, both the HAP and HousingTO Plan will improve housing outcomes for a wide range of people across the housing continuum, and support the economic and social viability of Toronto, the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area ("GTHA"), the rest of Ontario and Canada. Previous and ongoing engagement with Indigenous, non-profit and private housing stakeholders, academic institutions and housing scholars, school boards, federal and provincial staff, City (including CreateTO and Toronto Community Housing Corporation) staff, housing advocates, people with living/lived experience, and the public informed the actions identified in this report. Additional engagement will take place as the individual work plan items are advanced.