502 to 508 Parliament Street Construction Delays

Further to that funding, at its October 2021 meeting City Council authorized the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat to provide a waiver of all applicable planning application and building permit fees. The 40 plus units with wrap-around services are a much needed contribution to our City's HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan . Following a media request in July, I emailed City staff who explained that the original estimated cost for interior and exterior renovations for 502-508 Parliament Street was $6.44 million. Three years later, staff say the estimated project costs in December 2024 were $13.96 million. The opening date was also delayed from third quarter of 2025 to the first quarter of 2026. This would represent a sharp escalation in costs, and it is unclear to me when the escalation was discovered and why it wasn't reported to Council. The need for efficient project management is painfully apparent by this alleged doubling of costs. Transparent reporting and sustainable funding models are needed so that future supportive housing initiatives can be delivered on time, on budget, and without leaving vulnerable residents waiting years for a safe place to live. Staff have explained that the costs are related to logistical delays, such as the sanitary line replacement, structural repairs, modernization of life safety systems (fire escapes, sprinkler systems) and extensive heritage-revitalization. It is problematic that some of these issues were not identified at the outset, and there did not appear to be an opportunity to intervene earlier to keep the budget for this project from spiraling. They have also mentioned that the original $6 million in Section 37 was leveraged to get Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI), Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI) and Ontario Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP) funding, although it as of writing it's unclear how much each are contributing. I am requesting answers to the following questions from the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, in consultation with other divisions or agencies who may bear some responsibility, such as Toronto Community Housing Corporation, Corporate Real Estate Management, and CreateTO: 1. How many units are projected to be built at 502-508 Parliament Street? 2. Regarding the 502-508 Parliament Street project, who is responsible for: a. The construction; b. Community engagement; 3. What is the extent of the City's responsibility for the 502-508 Parliament Street project? a. Which City departments are involved, and to which extent? b. What is the role of Toronto Community Housing in this project? c. What is the extent of Dixon Hall's responsibility for this project? 4. What was the original budget for the 502-508 Parliament Street project? a. What is the current estimated total budget as of September 2025? b. How much funding is coming from the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI)? c. How much funding is coming from the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI)? d. How much funding is coming from the Ontario Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP)? e. How much funding is coming from Section 37? f. How much funding is coming from City sources outside of Section 37, and where is it coming from? g. How much funding is coming from Dixon Hall's fundraising efforts and/or other sources not mentioned above? 5. What is the estimated cost of the following at 502-508 Parliament Street during the initial budget, and what are they estimated to cost in the current budget? a. the sanitary line replacement; b. the structural repairs; c. the modernization of life safety systems (fire escapes, sprinkler systems); and d. the heritage revitalization of existing buildings? 6. Are there outside forces, such as a global pandemic or economic tariffs, that have contributed to the escalation of costs, and what has been the estimated impact on the 502-508 Parliament Street project? 7. When were City Staff first made aware that the budget for the 502-508 Parliament Street project was increasing and at what other times were staff made aware of the increasing project budget? a. What was the estimated budget in the first quarter of 2021? b. What was the estimated budget in the first quarter of 2023? c. What was the estimated budget in the first quarter of 2025? 8. What efforts did City Staff take to make City Council aware of the escalated costs of the 502-508 Parliament Street project since 2021? 9. What considerations should be made in future projects of similar building type to ensure: a. Best use of City funds b. Maximum affordable housing created and maintained c. Clear and timely communication to City Council and the public