In the spring of 2023, Toronto ushered in a milestone in gentle density when mutiplexes with up to four units were legalized, as of right, city wide. In one fell swoop, we saw decades of exclusionary zoning upheaved, and also the beginnings of the sixplex conversation sparked by Councillor Jamaal Myers, who implored city staff at the time to consider a six-unit pilot program in Ward 23.
That conversation has since advanced, and this week, the Planning and Housing Committee will review framework (Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments) to allow five- and six-unit multiplexes in Myers’ ward of Scarborough North. It might be a bit of a baby step, but the City indicated in a recent LinkedIn post that it will get the ball rolling on city-wide allowances.
A January 7 report from the City’s newly-minted Chief Planner Jason Thorne will be considered by the Committee on Thursday and recommends that Ward 23 be removed from existing site- and area-specific policy in order to enable multiplexes with up to six units. The report explains that Scarborough North is facing population decline that “limits the support” for local retail and services, and that staff has concluded the expanded multiplex permissions could help to address this challenge in a way that’s “balanced and incremental.”
Scarborough North's existing zoning by-law map, with yellow indicated residential/City of Toronto
“The proposed increase in multiplex permissions would also introduce a new low-rise housing option within Ward 23, creating more opportunities for equitable access to small-scale, ground-related housing that meets the needs of both current and future residents,” the report says.
According to the report, which references the Ward 23 Multiplex Study, the “existing lot fabric” in Scarborough North is already largely conducive to fiveplexes and sixplexes. In fact, it says that around 61% of residential lots in the ward have the potential to accommodate at least a sixplex.
On top of that, Councillor Myers has expressed that “multiplexes match the demographics” in Scarborough North, making the ward well-suited to a pilot program for fiveplexes and sixplexes. “About 14% of all households in Scarborough are multi-generational families, and many of us are immigrants or descendants of immigrants. So there's already a lot of familiarity with living in a multi-generational household,” Myers told STOREYS in an interview in May 2023.
“The six-unit pilot is really taking the idea of what City staff have worked really hard on a step further,” Myers also said at the time. “Currently, staff are looking at this as ‘I own a house and I, personally, am going to do the renovations and turn this into a fourplex.’ What the sixplex study idea is really looking at is, ‘I'm a developer, I want to buy this house, and I want to convert it into six affordable units.’”
Although a survey conducted at an October 3 community consultation meeting revealed that less than half of residents in attendance were supportive of amending the current by-law to permit five- and six-unit multiplexes, the potential for more affordable housing in the community is undoubtedly an attractive proposition. In that vein, Myers has expressed a desire to get not-for-profit developers on board with building and converting.
Prospective site plan from Ward 23 Multiplex Study/City of Toronto
The framework set to be considered by Planning and Housing on Thursday proposes to permit fiveplexes and sixplexes on lots zoned RD (Residential Detached), RS (Residential Semi-Detached), RT (Residential Townhouse), and RM (Residential Multiple) in Ward 23. It will pass through City Council on February 5.
“This includes the permission to create a new building with up to six dwelling units, and the ability to convert an existing detached house to have up to six dwelling units and maintain the built form of the existing detached house,” the report says, citing the fact that it’s easier and faster to convert an exiting detached home into a multiplex as it reduces the need for minor variances. The proposed framework purposefully exudes the conversion of semi-detached dwellings and townhouses into multiplexes, as staff have concluded that these are not “prevalent” building types in Ward 23.
A “city-wide sixplex study” is set to be delivered to City Council by the fourth quarter of this year, according to the report, and Councillor Myers iterates in a statement supplied to STOREYS on Tuesday evening that the extension of the pilot to all of Toronto was a “key component” in securing the city's $471-million Housing Accelerator Fund agreement, anticipated to lead to the construction of 11,780 new affordable homes.
“I'm encouraged by the progress we've made over the past year and a half on the Ward 23 Multiplex pilot. The thoughtful input and questions of Scarborough North residents, combined with the hard work of city staff, have been critical in shaping this initiative,” Myers' statement says. “I’m confident that our community will start to see the first affordable sixplexes built as the pilot moves forward. It will serve as a meaningful step toward addressing our housing needs while enhancing the vibrancy of our community in the future.”
