Item - 2026.PH29.5

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, to approve an allocation method of 100 percent Random Draw for Affordable Rental Homes included in the centralized access system for both initial occupancy and unit turnover.

2. City Council direct the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, to review and approve targeted allocation requests made by housing providers for Affordable Rental Homes (excluding any homes that must be reserved for households in receipt of housing benefits), in alignment with the priority populations identified in the HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan or as directed by Council.

3. City Council direct the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat to implement the allocation request process as described in Recommendation 2 above, to Affordable Rental Homes approved by the City for financial incentives on or after the third quarter of 2026.

4. City Council direct the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, to report back on implementation of the centralized access system for Affordable Rental housing by the end of the fourth quarter of 2027.

5. City Council direct the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, to continue engaging stakeholders including not-for-profit housing providers, including one-on-one engagement, to inform implementation of the new Affordable Housing Access system.

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, to approve an allocation method of 100 percent Random Draw for Affordable Rental Homes included in the centralized access system for both initial occupancy and unit turnover.

2. City Council direct the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, to review and approve targeted allocation requests made by housing providers for Affordable Rental Homes (excluding any homes that must be reserved for households in receipt of housing benefits), in alignment with the priority populations identified in the HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan or as directed by Council.

3. City Council direct the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat to implement the allocation request process as described in Recommendation 2 above, to Affordable Rental Homes approved by the City for financial incentives on or after the third quarter of 2026.

4. City Council direct the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, to report back on implementation of the centralized access system for Affordable Rental housing by the end of the fourth quarter of 2027.

5. City Council direct the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, to continue engaging stakeholders including not-for-profit housing providers, including one-on-one engagement, to inform implementation of the new Affordable Housing Access system.

The Planning and Housing Committee:

1. Requested the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, to report directly to the April 22, 23, 24, 2026 City Council meeting with a report outlining the current and proposed frameworks for the affordable access system, including income eligibility requirements for affordable housing applicants, and requests for targeted allocation of affordable rental housing by housing providers.

A centralized access system that provides ‘one window access’ for affordable and deeply affordable, Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) rental housing is essential to simplify the application process for people seeking housing, better inform applicants of housing opportunities, and connect them more quickly to homes. In addition, a centralized access system will provide the City with increased oversight, better data to inform decision-making, and more efficient program management.

The City is establishing a centralized access point for applicants seeking Affordable Rental housing, leveraging the existing Choice-Based Housing Access System (the System) for RGI housing and its applicant-facing online portal.

Currently, Affordable Rental housing providers run and manage random draws for each new building, screen applicants, and manage building-specific waiting lists. Applicants must apply for every individual building through the building-specific application.

A centralized access system will provide a more efficient, transparent and consistent approach to finding and filling Affordable Rental homes for applicants and housing providers. Once Affordable Rental homes are integrated in the System, applicants will be able to apply through MyAccesstoHousingTO for two distinct types of housing – RGI which provides deeply affordable homes to residents receiving social assistance or earning low incomes, and Affordable Rental that provides homes affordable to people with moderate incomes who can sustain higher rental costs.

Implementing a centralized access system to ensure fair and efficient allocation of Affordable Rental homes is a key action in the HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan (“HousingTO Plan”), which provides a blueprint to guide actions and investments across the housing spectrum to enhance access to safe, secure and affordable homes for Toronto residents.

The launch of the System in 2021 for RGI homes has made it easier for residents to apply and manage their applications. The System has increased transparency for applicants, made it faster for available homes to be rented, and improved consistency of program administration. The City has also made several changes to improve access, reduce the administrative burden on applicants, and reduce barriers to participation as a result of the digital divide.

In 2022, through Item PH35.20, City Council directed staff to integrate Affordable Rental homes into the System and to implement several program rules and requirements, including an allocation methodology that used a mix of a random draw and a chronological approach that gave credit for time spent waiting on the RGI waiting list. Additionally, in 2025, through Item CC27.1, Council directed that the Housing Secretariat provide for the inclusion of sector-specific housing. This report addresses both directions from Council.  

Subject to the adoption of the recommendations in this report, the City will create a single, centralized access point for residents to apply for both RGI housing and Affordable Rental housing with implementation anticipated by Q3 2026.

To support the successful integration, this report recommends two program changes intended to increase clarity and improve efficiency for applicants and housing providers including establishing:  

- Random draw allocation for all Affordable Rental homes, a best practice which leverages and improves upon the current allocation methodology (rather than a mix of using random draw and chronological allocation)

- A mechanism to address requests for targeted allocations for new Affordable Rental homes.

Access to housing options across the full housing spectrum provides a foundation for improving social and economic outcomes for all. Integrating Affordable Rental homes into the System will provide applicants with a single, streamlined access point to two different types of housing, enable housing providers to quickly and easily advertise available rental homes to all eligible households, and allow for improved City oversight and monitoring as the City advances the HousingTO Action Plan so all Torontonians live in safe, stable, affordable housing.

The adoption of the MyAccesstoHousingTO applicant portal for Affordable Rental homes is a key component in helping the City of Toronto achieve its commitments to the right to adequate housing under the Toronto Housing Charter and the HousingTO Action Plan, by ensuring housing options can be easily navigated in a transparent way and accessed by all eligible households, including equity deserving groups.