City mulls zoning changes to boost housing supply
Toronto City Council is set to vote on a controversial plan to permit more townhouses and small apartment buildings on major streets, sparking debate among residents, councillors, and developers.
The "Major Streets" plan, approved by the planning and housing committee earlier this month, aims to relax zoning bylaws to allow buildings up to six storeys tall with a maximum of 30 units on designated major roads. It's being promoted as a measure to boost housing supply amid Toronto's affordability crisis.
"I believe in building housing. We have a housing crisis, and having gentle density, which is what's being recommended, is a good way to go," said Mayor Olivia Chow. "I believe together, we'll come up with a solution that could encourage homeowners to build and to bring in a bit of extra income and also provide much desperately needed housing for people coming to the city."
The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) supports the plan. “The proposal is a promising public policy that will cut through red tape to get more affordable homes built faster,” TRREB president Jennifer Pearce said in a statement.
Pearce added that adding more as-of-right zoning in the city “encourages more gentle density in existing communities and makes it easier for developers to build family-friendly homes.”
“The proposal before City Council will upzone major streets, put more homes closer to transit, and enable builders to create more multifamily housing,” she said.
TRREB urges councillors to support the motion, which aligns with the goals of the federal Housing Accelerator Fund.
“City Council must think big and be bold in their approach to building housing by going further and supporting additional motions that enable more units along major streets to ensure their financial feasibility,” said Pearce.
However, the Federation of North Toronto Residents' Associations (FONTRA) is urging the council to send it back for more work, arguing that some streets labelled "major" don't qualify based on limited rationale provided by city staff.
"This is one size fits," FONTRA co-chair Geoff Kettel told CBC Toronto in an interview. "It's a blanket across the whole city. But you've got to look and see, well, what would be the implications locally?"
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The group warned some sections have heritage properties or conservation areas that may not suit larger developments without further study.
Councillor Stephen Holyday also voiced opposition, saying "the policy is flawed and unresolved" based on feedback from constituents.
A separate issue has arisen around a motion by Councillor Brad Bradford to investigate raising the unit cap to 60 and removing other restrictions, which would bypass public consultation at the committee level.
"Excuse me if I seem overzealous to move this forward," Bradford told the committee. "I just sort of feel like it's been four years. And too often, that's the case at city hall."
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