John Tory is wasting no time making moves -- or announcements, at least -- on the housing front.
Just days after he was re-elected mayor for the third term, Tory officially announced the creation of a new City of Toronto development and growth division -- something he promised during campaign time as part of his five-point affordable housing plan.
Earlier this morning, he told reporters that the move reflects a “fundamental rethink of our democracy.”
In attempt to cut red tape and get homes built quicker, Tory has said that the development and growth division at City Hall will act as a “one-stop shop” for handling all aspects of development review, streamline the approval process, speed up and reduce approval times, and better manage urban growth.
The creation of the division marks the first time that Tory uses the new power granted to mayors of Toronto and Ottawa by the provincial government designed to speed up the creation of new homes. The new municipal powers now afford mayors the ability to create new departments, hire and fire department heads, appoint a City manager, and a veto to override City Council on issues of provincial priority.
Tory told reporters that the City's senior staff are working quickly to create the new division.
"This is a fundamental change to how we operate that will cut red tape and speed up approvals," Tory wrote on Twitter.
More to come...
