The Canadian Press
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow presented what she called a “first step” in her bid to build 25,000 more affordable rental homes in Toronto, on top of those already planned for the city.
The city’s executive committee supported the motion Chow tabled today, which looks to get various city agencies and corporations together to draft a new plan to build public and community housing.
The motion says Toronto is facing an “unprecedented housing crisis” and building more homes is the mayor’s “top priority.”
It proposes revised housing targets to add 7,500 affordable homes – of which 2,500 would be new rent-geared-to-income units – and a new target of 17,500 rent-controlled homes.
The motion, which will be considered by city council early next month, asks staff to report back by the end of the year on its efforts to align the city’s resources and find suitable parcels of land for the homes.
Chow’s successful mayoral run was headlined by a promise to get the city back into building public housing, rather than leaving it solely to the private sector.