Item - 2025.PH20.7

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council adopt the Academic Housing Strategy and its recommended actions as outlined in this report and Attachment 1 to the report (March 27, 2025) from the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, as part of the City’s HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan.

2. City Council direct the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat to develop a five-year implementation plan for the Academic Housing Strategy.

3. City Council direct the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat to provide annual update reports on the Academic Housing Strategy as part of annual update reports on the HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan.

4. City Council direct the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat and Executive Director, Housing Development Office to identify a pilot affordable student housing project on public land delivered in partnership with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, not for profit housing provider(s) and academic institutions and report back by the fourth quarter of 2026 on potential projects, associated costs of municipal incentives, and support required from provincial, federal and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation sources to deliver the pilot project. 

5. City Council direct the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, in consultation with the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, and Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, and if necessary consult with the City Solicitor, to identify opportunities for expanding City financial support to create new, and preserve and revitalize existing affordable student housing options.

6. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat to enter into a data sharing agreements with post-secondary institutions of the Academic Institutions Working Group described in this report to implement the Academic Housing Strategy, and including authorizing the use, sharing, analysis, and reporting of socio-demographic and disaggregated survey data collected and received by the Housing Secretariat from students, staff and faculty attending the post-secondary institutions, for the purposes of informing post-secondary specific housing initiatives, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, and in a form satisfactory with the City Solicitor.

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council adopt the Academic Housing Strategy and its recommended actions as outlined in this report and Attachment 1 to the report (March 27, 2025) from the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, as part of the City’s HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan.

2. City Council direct the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat to develop a five-year implementation plan for the Academic Housing Strategy.

3. City Council direct the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat to provide annual update reports on the Academic Housing Strategy as part of annual update reports on the HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan.

4. City Council direct the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat and Executive Director, Housing Development Office to identify a pilot affordable student housing project on public land delivered in partnership with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, not for profit housing provider(s) and academic institutions and report back by the fourth quarter of 2026 on potential projects, associated costs of municipal incentives, and support required from provincial, federal and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation sources to deliver the pilot project. 

5. City Council direct the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, in consultation with the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, and Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, and if necessary consult with the City Solicitor, to identify opportunities for expanding City financial support to create new, and preserve and revitalize existing affordable student housing options.

6. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat to enter into a data sharing agreements with post-secondary institutions of the Academic Institutions Working Group described in this report to implement the Academic Housing Strategy, and including authorizing the use, sharing, analysis, and reporting of socio-demographic and disaggregated survey data collected and received by the Housing Secretariat from students, staff and faculty attending the post-secondary institutions, for the purposes of informing post-secondary specific housing initiatives, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, and in a form satisfactory with the City Solicitor.

In December 2022, City Council directed staff to develop a post-secondary housing strategy in partnership with post-secondary institutions aimed at increasing the availability of student housing. The proposed Academic Housing Strategy (Strategy) provides a snapshot of housing needs of post-secondary students in Toronto and outlines a framework for action by the City, other orders of government, and academic institutions to address their immediate and longer-term housing needs. The delivery of this Strategy is also a City commitment through the federal Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF).

Toronto’s post-secondary institutions are leading contributors to the City’s economy and important sources of job creation, skills training, and research and innovation. They are critical in maintaining a talent pipeline that supports the economic growth of the city and advancing student success and well-being is a key part of maintaining that pipeline. This is at the core of their missions, as academic institutions continue to advance educational priorities for students within their regulatory and financial capacity.

In Toronto, it is estimated that over 350,000 students are enrolled in public academic institutions. In recent years, an increasing number of post-secondary students have been struggling to meet their basic needs for housing, food, and other life necessities. The higher costs of living, coupled with financial assistance programs that do not reflect increasing costs, are leaving more students financially stretched and overwhelmed. While this is a national trend, it is more prevalent in Toronto, where housing costs are already some of the highest in the country. As a result, more post-secondary students are relying on food banks and homelessness services; they are more likely to experience precarious housing situations and live in over-crowded homes; and are increasingly more vulnerable to housing scams and fraud. In addition, institutions are facing financial constraints; an over-reliance on international student fees, and changing immigration policies that make it challenging to predict and prepare for their financial future. This makes it particularly challenging for institutions to plan and respond to the diverse housing needs of their students.

The Proposed Academic Housing Strategy

The development of this Strategy was directly informed by extensive consultation with nearly 2,000 students, staff and faculty across public colleges and universities in Toronto, as well as subject matter experts from academic, and non-profit and private housing sectors. The engagement process was held in partnership with Toronto’s academic institution partners and included:

- Online surveys;

- Campus drop-in sessions;

- Key informant interviews;

- Focus groups; and

- Student-led “consultation-in-a-box" sessions.

The results of the engagement offer first-hand insight into experiences, challenges, and barriers that students in Toronto are facing. In particular, students highlighted challenges with affordability of life, burdens of commuting, poor quality of housing, discrimination, and limitations in finding housing that met their needs. The results have also shown the need to conduct additional meaningful engagement with First Nation, Inuit and Métis students, faculty and staff to ensure their unique and distinct voices are included.

The Strategy aims to achieve five overarching strategic priorities:

1. Strengthen Policy and Partnerships for Academic Housing

2. Expand and Fund Affordable Student Housing

3. Unlock Land and Infrastructure for Student Housing

4. Ensure Safe, Secure, and Equitable Student Housing

5. Enhance Wrap-Around Support for Students

These strategic priorities are aligned with the City’s priorities and objectives, and its 17 proposed actions will be implemented over the next five years through the implementation of the HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan.

Recent federal and provincial announcements introducing caps on international students as well as changes introduced through Bill 185, Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act, 2024 (exempting publicly assisted post-secondary institutions from the Planning Act, among other measures), have and continue to change the post-secondary housing landscape.

The City’s actions to improve housing outcomes for post-secondary students will continue to reflect the federal and provincial legislative and funding environment to ensure consistency and alignment across all orders of government, and to ensure a whole-of-government and whole-of-community approach to addressing the housing needs of post-secondary students, faculty and staff.