Item - 2022.EX31.11

The Executive Committee:

1. Referred Item EX31.11 to the City Manager and requested the City Manager, in consultation with the Chief Planner, the Executive Director Housing Secretariat, and the City Solicitor as appropriate to report to the Planning and Housing Committee on the new "More Homes for Everyone Plan" legislation.

In December 2021, the Provincial government appointed a Housing Affordability Task Force (HATF) with a mandate to explore measures to address housing affordability and submit recommendations to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. On February 8, 2022, the Ontario Government published the Report of the Housing Affordability Task Force which included 55 recommendations for additional measures to increase the supply of market housing to address the housing crisis. Full text of the report is available at this link: https://files.ontario.ca/mmah-housing-affordability-task-force-report-en-2022-02-07-v2.pdf.

Media have reported that the Province intends to act on some of the recommendations prior to the provincial election on June 2, 2022, with new legislation to be introduced during the Spring 2022 legislative sitting¹.

The purpose of this report is to:

- provide City Council with an overview of the Housing Affordability Task Force's report, including potential implications of the report's recommendations to the City of Toronto should the Ontario Government act on them;

- highlight areas of City support and areas of concern that warrant reconsideration by the Ontario Government;

- provide an overview of actions the City is already taking that align with the direction of the Housing Affordability Task Force Report;

- request that City Council share City staff analysis as outlined in this report with key ministries of the provincial and federal governments; and

- seek City Council authorization to make submissions to the Ontario Government, if required, regarding any future legislative or regulatory provincial initiatives that may arise in connection with implementation of the Task Force's recommendations. 

The City of Toronto has demonstrated a strong commitment to the creation and development of affordable housing. Staff are concerned that many of the Task Force's recommendations may not deliver affordable housing but may result in diminished liveability for current and future Toronto residents.

[1] Doug Ford"s housing task force calls for more density, less public consultation:

(CBC News, February 8, 2022)