big issues:housing

City Council makes many of the key municipal decisions about where new housing can be built. It votes on the advice of City planners, and two documents set the rules. The Official Plan is Toronto's roadmap for growth to 2051 (Go to information source). The Zoning By-law turns that plan into rules for each lot — how big a building can be, and how many housing units it can hold (Go to information source).

Some projects fit the zoning rules and need only a building permit. Others need City Council's approval, or an exception from the City's Committee of Adjustment. Either way, the Province's planning laws set the limits, and certain decisions may be appealed to a provincial tribunal. Neighbours, tenants, and residents' groups no longer have the same appeal rights they once held under Ontario's planning system. They can still speak at the meeting where the decision is made, and send written comments beforehand. (Go to information source, Go to information source)

City Council sets the rules and the targets, but it does not decide how much actually gets built. Actual housing construction depends on market conditions, development decisions, and actions taken by other orders of government.

"Community housing" generally refers to housing provided at below-market rents for households with lower incomes. One of the most significant forms of assistance is rent-geared-to-income housing. A household in one of those units pays about 30% of what it earns toward rent. (Go to information source)

The City owns Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC), which owns and runs most of these buildings, and Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation (TSHC), the landlord in seniors-designated buildings. City Council appoints their boards and sets what each receives through the City budget, but does not operate them day to day. (Go to information source) (Go to information source)

The City's Housing Secretariat sets housing policy and oversees the Centralized Waiting List — the list people join to apply for rent-geared-to-income housing, where rent is based on income rather than market rates (Go to information source - PDF).

Independent nonprofit groups also provide housing and shelter. For example, YWCA Toronto runs its own shelters and housing programs.

Funding comes from a combination of municipal, provincial, and federal sources. In September 2024 City staff put the cost of HousingTO (the City's ten-year housing plan) at about $44 to $47 billion across all governments. (Go to information source - PDF)

The Province, not the City, sets the main rules for renting. The Province sets the yearly rent increase guideline, and the Landlord and Tenant Board, a provincial tribunal, resolves disputes between landlords and tenants, and decides formal eviction cases. City Council has no say in either.

City Council operates within that provincial framework. It funds programs that provide legal and other supports to eligible tenants facing housing challenges (Go to information source).

RentSafeTO is the City's enforcement program for apartment buildings of three or more storeys and ten or more units. It checks they meet maintenance standards. Tenants can report problems like no heat, leaks, or pests by calling 311 (Go to information source).

City Council also passed a Rental Renovation Licence By-law that establishes requirements landlords must meet before undertaking certain renovations that require tenants to leave their units, or “renovictions”. Before a licence is issued, an engineer or architect must confirm the unit has to be empty. The landlord must also arrange temporary housing or rent-gap payments, plus a moving allowance (Go to information source).

City Council allocates the budget for programs that assist tenants at risk of losing their housing (Go to information source - PDF). The Toronto Rent Bank gives grants to tenants who are behind on rent or need a deposit. Eviction Prevention in the Community gives caseworker support to households at immediate risk of eviction. Community agencies and City staff deliver it.

City Council funds Toronto's shelter system, which offers temporary beds to people who do not have housing. Demand for shelter space frequently approaches or exceeds available capacity, and some people are not matched to a space on a given night. Many of those not matched to a shelter bed have few immediate alternatives.

City Council also funds supportive housing. These are homes that come with support workers, either on site or visiting. People are matched to them through the City's Coordinated Access system (Go to information source). The number of supportive homes depends on funding from the City, the Province and the federal government (Go to information source - PDF).

Many of the people these programs serve also rely on income and health supports that City Council does not control. Health care and the Ontario Disability Support Program are run by the Province. As a result, some residents living in City-funded housing rely on income-support programs administered by the Province.

Outdoor encampments can develop in some Toronto parks and other public spaces as people seek alternatives to housing and shelter. City Council establishes policies that guide how the City responds to encampments. A City protocol allows this where there is a health or safety risk, or where someone has been offered intensive supports and turned them down. City policy states that enforcement should generally occur after outreach and support efforts have been attempted (Go to information source - PDF).