Toronto City Council Must Avoid Mayor Tory's Housing Plan Trap

Strategic Insights -

As Toronto City Council prepares to debate Mayor John Tory's new housing strategy, members must be cautious not to inadvertently justify his push for strong mayor powers. Tory's plan, which includes legalizing rooming houses and looser zoning rules, has merits, but council must evaluate it on its own merits, not as a means to justify the mayor's undemocratic powers.

Key Takeaways:

  • Toronto City Council has the opportunity to evaluate Mayor John Tory's housing strategy on its own merits, without justifying his push for strong mayor powers.
  • Tory's plan includes legalizing rooming houses and looser zoning rules, which are long overdue and have the potential to address the city's housing crisis.
  • The average market rent for a rooming house in Toronto is between $400 and $700 a month, substantially cheaper than the average bachelor apartment rent.
  • Council's decision to block or water down Tory's housing plan could give the mayor a stronger argument for why he sought strong mayor powers.
  • Strong opposition to the strong mayor powers has already been expressed by a majority of council members.
  • The mayor's housing plan has been proposed in two parts: the development of a Housing Action Plan and the implementation of a bylaw legalizing multi-tenant homes.

Statistics:

  • The average market rent for a rooming house in Toronto is between $400 and $700 a month (Maytree Foundation, 2020).
  • The average bachelor apartment rent in Toronto is $1,225 a month (Maytree Foundation, 2020).
  • The average one-bedroom apartment rent in Toronto is $1,446 a month (Maytree Foundation, 2020).
  • Ontario Works provides a monthly income of $733 (Government of Ontario, n.d.).
  • The Ontario Disability Support Program provides a monthly income of $1,228 (Government of Ontario, n.d.).

Sources:

  • Maytree Foundation, 2020 - "Multi-Tenant Homes: A Report on the Housing Crisis in Toronto".
  • Government of Ontario, n.d. - "Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program".