Toronto Mayor John Tory Secures Council Support for Sweeping Housing Policy Changes

Toronto Mayor John Tory has successfully secured council support for a series of sweeping housing policy changes aimed at addressing the city's affordability crisis. The proposal includes measures such as allowing small apartments in every neighborhood, increasing density on main streets, and expanding areas for mid-rise buildings. These changes are designed to provide more housing options for residents and cater to the city's growing population. However, not everyone is in favor of these changes, with some councilors expressing concerns that they may ruin the city's neighborhoods.

Key Takeaways:

• The council has voted in favor of a comprehensive housing policy change, with 23 councilors supporting the proposal and only 3 opposing it.
• The new policy aims to provide more housing options in every neighborhood, including small apartments and mid-rise buildings.
• The city plans to relax parking requirements for rooming houses, but with new limits on the number of dwelling units and minimum on-site parking requirements.
• The changes will not actually change where or how homes can be built in Toronto, but will instead direct city staff to report back with a plan for implementing the new policies.
• Toronto Mayor John Tory has unveiled a plan to build 285,000 new homes over the next decade, a roughly 60-percent increase over the number of homes built in the city over the past 10 years.
• The Ontario government has set a provincial target of 1.5 million new homes over a decade, the fastest pace of construction in two generations.

Statistics:

• 23 councilors voted in favor of the housing policy change
• 3 councilors opposed the proposal
• 285,000 new homes planned to be built in Toronto over the next decade
• 60-percent increase in new home construction over the past decade
• 1.5 million new homes planned to be built across Ontario over a decade
• 106,000 new homes have been built in Toronto over the past decade