Item - 2023.PH8.16

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council amend subsections 667-1 to 667-19 of the Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 667 (Residential Rental Property Demolition and Conversion Control) in accordance with the amendments set out in Attachment 1 to the report (November 16, 2023) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, subject to such stylistic and technical changes as may be required.

2. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to prepare the necessary Bills for introduction to City Council to implement the above noted amendments to the Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 667 (Residential Rental Property Demolition and Conversion Control), subject to such stylistic and technical changes as may be required.

3. City Council reiterate previous requests to the Province of Ontario to:

a. not advance a regulation for municipal rental replacement by-laws until meaningful consultation with the City and stakeholders has taken place, including consultation on all draft regulations; and

b. amend Section 111 of the City of Toronto Act to enable the City to pass a by-law to prohibit and regulate the demolition and conversion of dwelling rooms.

This report recommends that City Council amend Chapter 667 of the Toronto Municipal Code, the Residential Rental Property Demolition and Conversion Control By-law (“Chapter 667”), in response to recommendations made by the Auditor General respecting tenant access to affordable rental replacement housing based on financial need, and to improve administrative coordination with Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 363 (Building Construction and Demolition) (“Chapter 363”) and to improve the clarity of the process for the public.

Chapter 667 prohibits the demolition or conversion of residential rental units in buildings containing six or more residential units, of which at least one is rental, without obtaining a permit from the City. This report advances proposed amendments, developed in consultation with Legal Services, which include:

· The requirement for owners of affordable rental replacement units to develop and implement an Access Plan, which includes the use of the City’s Centralized Affordable Rental Housing Access System upon operation of the system, along with income eligibility requirements;

· Streamlining the coordination efforts between Toronto Building and the City Planning with respect to the administration of different chapters of the Municipal Code; and

· Stylistic, technical and process updates to improve accuracy and clarity for the public, including changes to permitted conditions of approval for applications delegated to the Chief Planner to include tenant relocation and other assistance for impacted tenants.

The recommendations in this report build on recent staff efforts to standardize affordable rental housing eligibility requirements and to harmonize City Planning’s administration of affordable rental housing with the Housing Secretariat’s practices.

Staff recommend that City Council adopt the recommendations in this report and amend Chapter 667 in accordance with Attachment 1 to this report.