Item - 2020.PH17.1

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:  

1. City Council authorize the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, to negotiate and enter into, on behalf of the City, a municipal housing facility agreement (the City's Contribution Agreement) with the housing providers described in Table 2 in the Financial Impact section of the report (October 5, 2020) from the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, to secure affordable housing in accordance with By-law 1756-2019, in return for the exemption from taxation for municipal and school purposes, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, in a form approved by the City Solicitor.

2. City Council authorize an exemption from taxation for municipal and school purposes for the properties and periods of time described in Table 2 in the Financial Impact section of report the (October 5, 2020) from the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, with the tax exemption being effective from the "Effective Date" of the municipal housing facility agreement (the City's Contribution Agreement).

3. City Council authorize the Controller to cancel or refund any taxes paid after the effective date of the municipal housing facility agreement (the City's Contribution Agreement).

4. City Council enact a site specific by-law amending the criteria for "Former Federal Project" in the Municipal Housing Facility By-law 1756-2019, to exempt 11 Winona Drive operated by Hellenic Homes for the Aged Inc., from the eligibility criteria that former federal projects must have their original operating agreement with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation expired to meet the definition of "Former Federal Project" in the Municipal Housing Facility By-law 1756-2019.

5. City Council direct the City Clerk to give written notice of the municipal housing facility agreement to the Minister of Finance, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, the Toronto District School Board, the Toronto Catholic District School Board, le Conseil scolaire Viamonde, and le Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir.

In December 2019, City Council approved the Community Housing Partnership Renewal Program (CHPR), a new program designed to incentivize former federal non-profit housing providers with expired operating agreements to enter into new agreements with the City to secure affordable housing and maintain or improve levels of affordability. The implementation of Community Housing Partnership Renewal Program requires site-specific authority from Council to approve individual municipal housing facility agreements for participating housing providers.

The purpose of this report is to obtain Council authority for Shelter, Support and Housing Administration (SSHA) to implement the first round of non-profit housing providers that have committed to participating in Community Housing Partnership Renewal Program . This includes enrolling four housing providers with a total of 360 affordable rental units for 20-year terms. In addition to securing affordability, agreements under Community Housing Partnership Renewal Program will include requirements that promote long-term sustainability of the rental stock and deepen affordability of a mix of unit sizes through the provision of housing benefits.

The HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan listed Community Housing Partnership Renewal Program as a key initiative supporting the City's objective to protect non-profit housing and the City's commitment to achieving related targets in the action plan over the next ten years. Granting property tax relief to non-profit housing providers participating in Community Housing Partnership Renewal Program is a cost-effective approach to secure affordable rental units and maintain the supply of affordable rental housing in Toronto.