Affordable Housing Committee

AFFORDABLE HOUSING -
  Definitely NOT There Yet

Chair:          Ana Bailao, ward18 Davenport
Vice-Chair:  Mark Grimes,  ward6 Etobicoke-Lakeshore
Members:
- Maria Augimeri, ward9 York Centre
- Michelle Berardinetti, ward35 Scarborough Southwest
- Vincent Crisanti, ward1 Etobicoke North
- Joe Mihevc, ward 21 St. Paul's

The Affordable Housing Committee oversees the activities of the Affordable Housing Office. These activities include directing federal and provincial government investments in new affordable rental and ownership housing in partnership with private and non-profit developers. They also include delivering federal funds to repair and modify the homes of low-and-modest income seniors, disabled persons and families. The committee also facilitates the implementation of Housing Opportunities Toronto, the City's 10-year affordable housing action plan.     Weblink for more info, schedules, etc   

Weblink to overview briefing given at Feb 2, 2011 meeting.

Briefing Highlights:

*  23% or 216,070 households live in housing that is too small, in need of repairs or is too expensive
* 45% of residents rent. Much of Toronto's rental housing is aging and needs repair. 
* Vacancy rates have dropped from 3.1% to 2.2% since last year, meaning 5,532 apartments out of 254,555 were vacant
* Average rents for a bachelor, one-, two-and three bedroom apartments are $ 778, $ 950, $ 1135 and $ 1346
* There are currently 76,549 households on the wait list for subsidized housing.  In Toronto, there are 99,047 social housing units

* Population Projections: Increase from 2.6 to 2.9 million people by 2020 with more seniors (103,120), children (39,870) and working-age people (122,580).

* Related Story: Data Bank a One Stop Trove of GTA, Regional Housing Stats brings together up-to-date statistics regarding housing, poverty and population trends...The data are compiled from Statistics Canada information, municipal data and reports from the non-profit and development sectors, and provide a comprehensive picture of housing needs in the City of Toronto as well as the surrounding regions of Halton, Durham, Peel, and York...“There isn’t an area in Toronto that doesn’t have the need for more affordable housing.” ...Some other info:

* By 2036, the region's population is expected to grow to 9.1 million (over half of Ontario's population) and be home to an increasing number of seniors, new immigrants, young families and working-age people.
* Toronto's Street Needs Assessment 2009 estimated there were 5,086 homeless people in the City on April; 
* Food banks served an average of 85,881 people per month in 2009...Housing is the largest expense for most people who use food banks. Some clients are paying up to 68% of income on shelter...
*  almost one in five households (322,415) continue to struggle with finding and keeping an affordable home
* In 2006, some 26% of owners and 46% of renters were spending 30% or more of their income on shelter.
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Greater Toronto Summit meeting will be held in Toronto next week,  Feb. 10 and 11, "a gathering of some of the city’s top thinkers and most influential figures. Weblink info

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There is STILL no National Housing Strategy for Canada at the federal level.