Item - 2025.PH25.4

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

Intergovernmental Requests for Successful Delivery of the City's Housing Plans

1. City Council request the Government of Canada, through Build Canada Homes and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation programs, to provide the City of Toronto:

a. $163 million in capital funding to support the creation of approximately 230 supportive homes on public land in the next 12-18 months.

b. $2.6 billion in funding and low-cost financing, though a portfolio-based and predictable multi-year approach, to support the creation of mixed-income communities on public land to start construction on approximately 3,900 purpose-built rental and affordable rental homes within the next 12-18 months.

c. $150 million in funding under the Canada Rental Protection Fund, to be stacked with the City’s investments through the Multi-Unit Residential Acquisition Program, to support the community housing sector in acquiring and preserving approximately 1,000 at-risk rental homes.

2. City Council re-iterate its request that the Government of Ontario maintain its commitment to partner with the City of Toronto to create new supportive homes for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, by:

a. Renewing current annual investments of $48 million for another three years (2026-2029) to ensure ongoing stability of housing and supports in over 3,000 occupied supportive homes;

b. Providing an additional investment of $16 million in 2026, and $23 million in 2027 and annually thereafter for housing benefits and wrap-around housing and social supports for over 730 new supportive homes funded and under construction, to open between 2025 and 2027; and

c. Providing sufficient operating funding for any net new supportive homes created under Build Canada Homes.

Property Tax Exemptions for Indigenous-Led Housing Provider

3.  City Council authorize an exemption from taxation for municipal and school purposes for the affordable rental homes and affordable transitional homes as listed and for the periods of time described in Table 1 in the Financial Impact section of this report from the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat.

4. City Council authorize the Controller and Chief Accountant to cancel or refund any taxes paid after the effective date of the exemption from taxation for municipal and school purposes as set out in the applicable municipal housing facility agreement.

Rental Housing Supply Program Set-Aside for Indigenous Housing Providers

5. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, in consultation with Miziwe Biik Development Corporation to:

a. issue a rolling Call for Applications for the Indigenous set-aside funding allocations under the Rental Housing Supply Program and repayable loan allocations under the Community Housing Pre-Development Fund to identify eligible projects; and

b. approve eligible projects within the approved budget for Indigenous set-aside funding and repayable loan allocation, and report to City Council with the list of approved projects on an annual basis.

6. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, in consultation with Miziwe Biik Development Corporation and Aboriginal Labour Force Development Circle, to implement changes to Rental Housing Supply Program, Multi-Unit Residential Acquisition Program, and Community Housing Pre-Development Fund where needed to stack City financial support with federal and provincial funding provided to Indigenous-led and/or Indigenous-serving organizations within approved and available Indigenous set-aside funding allocations for development and acquisition of affordable housing, and report on the program changes to City Council as needed.

Memorandum of Understanding and Funding Agreement with United Way Greater Toronto

7. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat and Executive Director, Social Development, to negotiate and enter into, on behalf of the City of Toronto, a Memorandum of Understanding and funding agreement with United Way Greater Toronto to provide one-time funding in the amount of up to $50,000, included in the Housing Secretariat’s 2025 Operating Budget, to support actions and initiatives to incubate a Black-focused non-profit housing organization, on terms and conditions outlined in Attachment 4, or other terms and conditions as satisfactory to the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat and Executive Director, Social Development, in a form approved by the City Solicitor.

Authorization to Collect and Share Personal Information through the Shelter Management Information System

8. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, in collaboration with the General Manager, Toronto Shelter and Support Services to collect personal demographic information, housing and shelter history, service interactions, consent status of clients, through the Shelter Management Information System (SMIS), designated as the City’s Homelessness Management Information System, for the purposes of supporting the City’s efforts in delivering responsive, coordinated, and client-centered housing and homelessness services.

9. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat and the General Manager, Toronto Shelter and Support Services to collect, use, and disclose personal information through the Shelter Management Information System (SMIS), the City’s designated Homelessness Management Information System, strictly for the following purposes:

a. Facilitating coordinated housing and homelessness service delivery;

b. Enabling timely and appropriate housing and support service referrals;

c. Ensuring compliance with federal and provincial reporting obligations; and

d. Supporting evidence-based program planning, evaluation, performance; measurement, in a manner this compliant with the applicable privacy legislation, data governance standards, and client consent protocols.

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

Intergovernmental Requests for Successful Delivery of the City's Housing Plans

1. City Council request the Government of Canada, through Build Canada Homes and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation programs, to provide the City of Toronto:

a. $163 million in capital funding to support the creation of approximately 230 supportive homes on public land in the next 12-18 months.

b. $2.6 billion in funding and low-cost financing, though a portfolio-based and predictable multi-year approach, to support the creation of mixed-income communities on public land to start construction on approximately 3,900 purpose-built rental and affordable rental homes within the next 12-18 months.

c. $150 million in funding under the Canada Rental Protection Fund, to be stacked with the City’s investments through the Multi-Unit Residential Acquisition Program, to support the community housing sector in acquiring and preserving approximately 1,000 at-risk rental homes.

2. City Council re-iterate its request that the Government of Ontario maintain its commitment to partner with the City of Toronto to create new supportive homes for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, by:

a. Renewing current annual investments of $48 million for another three years (2026-2029) to ensure ongoing stability of housing and supports in over 3,000 occupied supportive homes;

b. Providing an additional investment of $16 million in 2026, and $23 million in 2027 and annually thereafter for housing benefits and wrap-around housing and social supports for over 730 new supportive homes funded and under construction, to open between 2025 and 2027; and

c. Providing sufficient operating funding for any net new supportive homes created under Build Canada Homes.

Property Tax Exemptions for Indigenous-Led Housing Provider

3.  City Council authorize an exemption from taxation for municipal and school purposes for the affordable rental homes and affordable transitional homes as listed and for the periods of time described in Table 1 in the Financial Impact section of this report from the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat.

4. City Council authorize the Controller and Chief Accountant to cancel or refund any taxes paid after the effective date of the exemption from taxation for municipal and school purposes as set out in the applicable municipal housing facility agreement.

Rental Housing Supply Program Set-Aside for Indigenous Housing Providers

5. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, in consultation with Miziwe Biik Development Corporation to:

a. issue a rolling Call for Applications for the Indigenous set-aside funding allocations under the Rental Housing Supply Program and repayable loan allocations under the Community Housing Pre-Development Fund to identify eligible projects; and

b. approve eligible projects within the approved budget for Indigenous set-aside funding and repayable loan allocation, and report to City Council with the list of approved projects on an annual basis.

6. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, in consultation with Miziwe Biik Development Corporation and Aboriginal Labour Force Development Circle, to implement changes to Rental Housing Supply Program, Multi-Unit Residential Acquisition Program, and Community Housing Pre-Development Fund where needed to stack City financial support with federal and provincial funding provided to Indigenous-led and/or Indigenous-serving organizations within approved and available Indigenous set-aside funding allocations for development and acquisition of affordable housing, and report on the program changes to City Council as needed.

Memorandum of Understanding and Funding Agreement with United Way Greater Toronto

7. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat and Executive Director, Social Development, to negotiate and enter into, on behalf of the City of Toronto, a Memorandum of Understanding and funding agreement with United Way Greater Toronto to provide one-time funding in the amount of up to $50,000, included in the Housing Secretariat’s 2025 Operating Budget, to support actions and initiatives to incubate a Black-focused non-profit housing organization, on terms and conditions outlined in Attachment 4, or other terms and conditions as satisfactory to the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat and Executive Director, Social Development, in a form approved by the City Solicitor.

Authorization to Collect and Share Personal Information through the Shelter Management Information System

8. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, in collaboration with the General Manager, Toronto Shelter and Support Services to collect personal demographic information, housing and shelter history, service interactions, consent status of clients, through the Shelter Management Information System (SMIS), designated as the City’s Homelessness Management Information System, for the purposes of supporting the City’s efforts in delivering responsive, coordinated, and client-centered housing and homelessness services.

9. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat and the General Manager, Toronto Shelter and Support Services to collect, use, and disclose personal information through the Shelter Management Information System (SMIS), the City’s designated Homelessness Management Information System, strictly for the following purposes:

a. Facilitating coordinated housing and homelessness service delivery;

b. Enabling timely and appropriate housing and support service referrals;

c. Ensuring compliance with federal and provincial reporting obligations; and

d. Supporting evidence-based program planning, evaluation, performance; measurement, in a manner this compliant with the applicable privacy legislation, data governance standards, and client consent protocols.

Toronto continues to face ongoing housing and homelessness crises that have been decades in the making and are increasingly impacting residents across the entire housing continuum. Adopted in 2019, the City’s HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan (HousingTO Plan) is Toronto’s strategy to respond to the challenges in the housing system. Guided by this plan, the City has continued to demonstrate strong leadership in making major investments (including land, financial incentives, and funding), implementing transformational housing programs and policies, taking action to support renters, and ensuring the City as an organization has the structure and processes to respond rapidly to the housing crisis.

This report and Attachment 1 provide an overview of progress made under the HousingTO Plan, and the 2022-2026 Housing Action Plan (HAP), in 2024 and into 2025 to address the housing needs of Torontonians across five key areas:

- Creating new homes

- Protecting and preserving existing homes

- Supporting renters and improving housing stability

- Responding to diverse housing needs

- Transforming housing policies and permissions

The housing market across Canada, including Toronto, has faced a significant downturn that has persisted into 2025, negatively impacting the supply of new homes. On its own, the market will not create the new rental homes, particularly affordable and rent-geared-to-income homes, that residents need. The City is demonstrating the impact of government action on housing, as City-led and City-supported projects account for 65% of all housing starts achieved in the first eight months of 2025 in Toronto. Action from all orders of government continues to be needed to build new homes, maintain economic resiliency, and support the substantial number of workers employed in the construction sector.

The Annual Progress Report also identifies priority actions underway in 2025 and into 2026, including supporting renters by implementing a new Rental Renovation Licence Bylaw, establishing and implementing the Toronto Builds Policy Framework as a consistent and clear policy framework for the delivery of new homes on public land with the new Housing Development Office as the organizational lead, maximizing City investments in housing development and acquisition projects led by the private and non-profit sector; and co-designing new programs to support Indigenous-led housing developments.

To further advance the HousingTO Plan, this report also seeks authority to advance a number of critical partnerships and initiatives to improve housing outcomes for Indigenous, Black and racialized communities, including:  

- Authorities to advance a co-led implementation process with Miziwe Biik Development Corporation and Aboriginal Labour Force Development Circle to more efficiently allocate $13 million in pre-approved grant and loan funding to Indigenous housing projects under the Rental Housing Supply Program and approve property tax exemptions for three Indigenous-led housing sites.

- Authority to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding and funding agreement with United Way Greater Toronto to support work to incubate a Black-focused non-profit housing organization.

While action has been significant, the need for greater intergovernmental partnership and investment is clear. Toronto cannot address the housing and homelessness crises alone. Supportive housing continues to be the most cost effective and dignified response to ending homelessness, with annual operating costs about half of those of shelter programs. Sustained action and investment from provincial and federal governments continues to be necessary to reverse course on a generational disinvestment in the housing system and build more affordable homes, protect existing supply, and support renters and those experiencing homelessness, both today and in the future.

The report also includes recommendations relating to collecting and sharing personal information through the Shelter Information Management System (SMIS), to support service delivery and evidence-based planning across the housing continuum.

The 2024-2025 Housing Progress Report is prepared by the Housing Secretariat with input from various City Divisions, Agencies, and Corporations including: City Planning, CreateTO, Development Review, Environment Climate and Forestry, the Housing Development Office, Financial Planning, the Indigenous Affairs Office, Strategic Partnerships, Municipal Licensing and Standards, Seniors Services and Long-Term Care, Toronto Shelter and Support Services, Social Development, Strategic Public and Employee Communications, Toronto Building, Toronto Community Housing Corporation, and Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation.