The City of Toronto has officially launched its new Housing Data Hub, a publicly accessible source of information related to housing progress in the city.
Part of the Housing Action Plan 2022-2026, the Hub publicly showcases the City's "clear and cohesive" approach to building housing as it works towards the province's target of 285K new Toronto homes by 2031. It also tracks progress towards the City's own goal of approving 40K affordable homes by 2030, laid out in the HousingTO 2022-2030 Action Plan.
Created in an effort to improve accountability and transparency, the Hub compiles information related to social and affordable housing in Toronto, including the status of affordable rental units, data on waiting list applications for social housing, and maps showing where affordable rental projects will be located.
READ: Financial Impacts of Bill 23 Put Toronto’s Ability to Fund New Housing At “High Risk”
Presented through a series of dashboards, the data will "ensure that new policies, programs, and financial investments are evidence-based to help optimize limited public resources while maximizing outcomes for Toronto residents, targeting areas and populations most in need," the City said in a release.
The Hub will also include an annually released Data Book, which will offer insight into the health of Toronto's housing system. Other new data points will be added to the Hub overtime as the City's goals expand and evolve.
"We are committed to creating real solutions to Toronto’s housing crisis, and we continue to ensure that more people in need of housing are getting keys to their own permanent homes, not temporary solutions," said Councillor Brad Bradford, Chair of the Planning and Housing Committee.
"This Housing Data Hub increases our accountability to the public and key stakeholders, informs the development of effective strategy and moves us quickly toward our goal of ensuring that more Toronto residents have a place to call home."
The Housing Data Hub's release coincides with the Executive Committee's consideration of a City Staff report which details a work plan and priorities for Toronto's new Housing Action Plan. The report, published last week, details how Toronto's ability to fund new housing programs is at risk.
