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The City of Toronto has broken ground on its first affordable housing project under the Public Developer Delivery model. Adopted by City Council in July, the model gives the City a hands-on role in delivering affordable housing, from setting targets and speeding up approvals to direct involvement in construction. Yesterday, Mayor Olivia Chow attended the ceremony for the site at 11 Brock Avenue in Parkdale, where 42 rent-geared-to-income and supportive homes will be built to assist individuals facing homelessness or housing instability.
“No one in Toronto should be without shelter, particularly the most vulnerable among us,” said Mayor Olivia Chow. “This project will provide 42 homes to those experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Toronto is back in the housing business.”
Designed by SvN, the four-storey development will include 34 studios and 8 one-bedroom apartments. Residents will have private kitchens and bathrooms in their units, with shared spaces such as laundry facilities, a communal kitchen, and dedicated programming areas.
Rents would be geared to income (RGI), ensuring that no tenant pays more than 30% of their income on housing. Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre (PARC), a longstanding community organization with extensive experience in supportive housing, will manage the project and provide essential services to promote health, stability and well-being of residents.
The development is made possible through a partnership between the City of Toronto and the Government of Canada. The City acquired the property from the Province of Ontario in 2019 for $3.25 million. Funding for the project includes a $21.6 million federal contribution through Phase 3 of the Rapid Housing Initiative. The City has also committed over $3.4 million in pre-development funding and financial incentives, including waived fees and property taxes.
To maintain the planned essential support services, the City has requested $1.2 million in annual funding from the Province starting in 2025. The City has also urged the Province to renew its current $48 million annual investment in support services for more than 3,000 existing supportive homes across Toronto and to commit an additional $12 million annually for new supportive housing projects expected to open in 2025 and 2026.
“Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home,” said Federal Minister of Justice Arif Virani. “Our investment here at 11 Brock ensures more Torontonians in urgent need will soon have access to affordable homes.”
This project is part of Toronto’s HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan, which targets the creation of 65,000 rent-controlled homes, including 41,000 affordable rentals and 6,500 RGI units. As the first development under the Public Developer Delivery model, the project demonstrates a more direct and accelerated approach to building affordable housing on City-owned land.
With 11 Brock set for completion by the end of 2025, four additional City-owned sites are slated for development under this model. A ground breaking ceremony will be held this week for 35 Bellevue Avenue, with other projects, including 405 Sherbourne Street, 150 Queens Wharf Road, and Toronto’s first mass-timber affordable housing site at 1113-1117 Dundas Street West, will follow.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress, but in the meantime, you can learn more about these projects from our Database filse, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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