Activities and Initiatives to Support Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities in Toronto

This represents a 50 per cent increase in just 20 years, with the number of adults over the age of 75 years forecasted to grow by 90 per cent. Seniors and older adults in Toronto are also more diverse than in previous generations and have expressed a clear preference for aging in their homes and communities,[i] which drives increased demand for specialized supports in many neighbourhoods. This aging demographic is not only a reality for Toronto; it is also being experienced to differing degrees around the globe. In response, social scientists and researchers have developed the concept of "Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities" (NORCs) as a way of describing places that have become home to a high density of seniors and older adults. NORCs can include vertical NORCs (apartment buildings and condominiums), and horizontal NORCs (houses in neighborhoods spread out over a specific geographical area). Through the Toronto Seniors' Strategies 1.0 and 2.0, the City advanced 52 key recommendations to ensure all seniors have equitable access to City services and programs. The success of these strategies led Toronto City Council to direct SSLTC to develop the third Toronto Seniors' Strategy, currently underway. Recognizing the increasing diversity of Toronto's seniors and their desire to age in their homes and communities, the third Toronto Seniors' Strategy will identify and deliver initiatives that enable and support seniors' and older adults' desire to age in place, with an intentional focus on seniors who identify as Indigenous, Black or as a member of an equity-deserving group. To advance this work, SSLTC held interdivisional engagements to identify a range of City programs and services, policies, and areas of investment that enable seniors and older adults to age in their homes and communities. SSLTC also engaged with the University Health Network's NORC Innovation Centre to learn more about their work in supporting NORCs. This report identifies new and existing activities that protect and promote seniors' health, safety and well-being, and investments and policies that inform urban design and planning, shaping neighbourhoods, so that they become inclusive and accessible places where seniors and older adults can thrive, including NORC residents. As part of this work, SSLTC and partner divisions focused on understanding activities undertaken in 2024 and opportunities for increased action in 2025. This includes, but is not limited to, the continued operation of Community Paramedic-Led Clinics, the targeted installation of park benches and implementation of pedestrian safety improvements through the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan in neighbourhoods with high concentrations of seniors, construction of seniors-focused affordable housing, and the consideration of seniors' priorities when considering the mitigation of commercial displacement of existing businesses and services, such as mall and plaza redevelopment.