Item - 2023.EX10.2

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council amend section 4.1.2(c) of the Toronto Community Housing Corporation Shareholder Direction to authorize Toronto Community Housing Corporation to facilitate the creation of complete communities across the Toronto Community Housing Corporation housing portfolio, through the development and intensification of its lands and buildings, including prioritizing the delivery of net new rent-geared-to-income, affordable and market rent-controlled homes, in addition to replacement of existing rent-geared-to-income homes, to support delivery of the City of Toronto's housing plans and targets; and City Council direct the City Solicitor to prepare such amendment and submit the appropriate Bills to City Council.

2. City Council request the Board of Directors of CreateTO to leverage City lands and partnerships to facilitate the creation of complete communities, and to prioritize the delivery of a range of new purpose-built rental homes including new rent-geared-to-income, affordable and market rent-controlled homes, to support delivery of the City of Toronto's housing plans and targets. 

3. City Council request the Board of Directors of Toronto Community Housing Corporation and the Board of Directors of CreateTO to direct their respective Chief Executive Officers to ensure that the public retention of all sites designated for housing purposes is a top strategic priority, and work with the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services to ensure alignment of their respective Strategic Plans with the City's housing plans and targets, as described in Recommendations 1 and 2 above, by the third quarter of 2024.

4. City Council direct the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services, in collaboration with the Deputy City Manager, Corporate Services, the Chief Executive Officer, Toronto Community Housing Corporation, the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO and the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, to include recommendations on further actions required to ensure functional, structural and governance alignment to facilitate the implementation of the City's housing plans and targets, as part of the anticipated second quarter 2024 update report on the City-led development model at five ‘housing ready’ sites, as directed by Council in Item 2023.EX9.3.

5. City Council request the City Manager, in collaboration with the Deputy City Manager, Corporate Services, the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services, the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, the Chief Executive Officer, Toronto Community Housing Corporation and the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO, to report back with recommendations, based on short-term and longer term strategic considerations, to ensure sustainable operating models for Toronto Community Housing Corporation and CreateTO, following the functional, structural and governance alignment referred to in Recommendation 4 above.

The worsening housing crisis demands heightened action and investments from all orders of government. In response to the urgent need to ramp up efforts, on September 6, 2023, City Council adopted Item EX7.2 - 'Urgently Building More Affordable Homes', and directed the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services, among other things, to:

- Create a plan, implementation framework and timeline to achieve 25,000 new rent-controlled homes, in addition to the City's previous HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan (HousingTO Plan) target of 40,000 affordable rental homes; and

- Report back on an effective alignment of resources, mandates, structure, and personnel of all City of Toronto agencies, boards, commissions, corporations and divisions involved with housing, in particular Toronto Community Housing Corporation and CreateTO, that would enable the City of Toronto to build new public and community housing in collaboration with co-ops, non-profit housing providers, governmental organizations, and other partners.

 At its meeting of November 8 and 9, 2023, City Council adopted Item EX9.3 – “Generational Transformation of Toronto’s Housing System to Urgently Build More Affordable Homes”, and identified a suite of City actions and initiatives that are required to shift and strengthen Toronto's housing system to better address the housing needs of low, moderate and middle income households. including:

- Dedicating additional City-owned land to create new affordable homes;

- Accelerating the delivery of ‘housing ready’ projects on City and non-profit owned land;

- Streamlining and optimizing people, processes, and technology resources to expedite approvals and housing delivery;

- Developing new and sustainable funding models; and

- Supporting the Indigenous, non-profit and co-operative housing sectors to build housing.

Additionally, to urgently advance the City's efforts and actions, City Council directed the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services to report to the December 5, 2023, meeting of the Executive Committee with recommendations to ensure alignment of the strategic plans and mandates of Toronto Community Housing Corporation and CreateTO, with the City’s housing plans and targets.

This report responds to Council's directions in Item EX7.2 and Item EX9.3 and outlines a number of recommendations that will ensure a more consistent and strategic approach in how the City, CreateTO and Toronto Community Housing Corporation plan and deliver housing services. This includes a more effective alignment of resources, mandates, structure, and personnel. This approach will provide greater clarity and direction for each organization and optimize existing resources and expertise across teams in support of the City's housing plans and targets.