Item - 2019.PH11.6

The  Planning and Housing Committee:

1. Received the report (November 21, 2019) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning for information.

This report summarizes the attached bulletin, the third in a series of housing bulletins to support Official Plan Reviews. The bulletin examines the influence of demographic, social and market trends on housing occupancy in Toronto between 1996 and 2016. Data from the Census of Population and the National Household Survey of Statistics Canada are the basis of an in-depth analysis of the underlying factors that affect housing occupancy in the city of Toronto and its trends over time.

Toronto's population is forecasted to grow significantly in the coming years. This research provides background information to support planning for the future housing needs of all Toronto households.

Toronto's population grew by 14.5 percent or 346,150 people between 1996 and 2016 and is on track to achieve the forecasted population of 3.4 million people by 2041 as anticipated by the Official Plan and A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2019. The Growth Plan forecasts are currently under review by the Province and the forecasts for Toronto may be revised upward. Over the 20-year period to 2016, the number of Toronto households grew by 23.2 percent, faster than the growth rate of the population, adding 209,345 households to the city. This growth hints at the varied and changing demographic and social trends that reflect how people are occupying housing in Toronto. Housing occupancy trends will continue to evolve with ongoing changes to the age structure of the population, household composition, housing supply and affordability.