Roughly nine months after Toronto City Council approved its "transformational" affordable housing plan, community partners have been announced for two of the five City-owned sites slotted for development of new affordable and supportive rental homes. The five sites that have been identified for immediate development will serve as a model for achieving the ambitious affordable housing plan’s goal of fast-tracking 65,000 new rent-controlled homes by 2030.

In Monday’s announcement from Mayor Olivia Chow and Councillor Dianne Saxe (University-Rosedale), it was shared that community housing provider partnerships had been selected for the affordable developments set for 35 Bellevue Avenue, in Kensington Market, and 11 Brock Avenue.

Once completed, the planned development at 35 Bellevue Avenue will be leased and operated by the Kensington Market Community Land Trust (KMCLT) and St. Clare’s Multifaith Housing Society (St. Clare’s). According to the media release, both entities have experience managing similar projects, with KMCLT owning and operating affordable housing locally and St. Clare’s having managed supportive and affordable housing in Toronto for more than 20 years.

“With the development of 35 Bellevue Avenue, I am pleased to see more affordable, supportive, and sustainable rental housing come to the University-Rosedale ward,” said Councillor Saxe. “It is even more encouraging to know that once completed, the property will be operated by KMCLT and St. Clare’s, who have built strong social capital within the local community to ensure the success of this City-delivered housing endeavour.”

Set to welcome occupants by the end of 2025, 35 Bellevue Ave will provide 78 new homes consisting of private studio and one-bedroom apartments with a kitchenette and bathroom and amenity spaces for tenants, according to the media release. The project is also being constructed using “mass timber building technology with sustainability and energy efficiency performance,” in an effort to meet the City’s TransformTO Net Zero Strategy goals and Toronto Green Standard V4.

Also set to welcome occupants by Q4 2025 is the affordable housing site at 11 Brock Avenue. Once completed, this south Roncesvalles development will be leased and operated by Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre (PARC), an operator of supportive homes in Toronto for adults experiencing mental health and substance use challenges, many with a history of homelessness, according to the release.

The development at 11 Brock Avenue will provide 42 rent-geared-to-income and supportive homes for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness that will consist of private apartments with a bathroom and a kitchen. As well, residents will have access to shared laundry, a commercial kitchen and programming spaces for residents.

“Toronto is facing a serious housing affordability crisis that is growing at an alarming rate. Projects such as 11 Brock Avenue and 35 Bellevue Avenue are critical to fill the gap in bringing affordable and supportive rental housing to residents in the quickest way possible,” said Mayor Chow. “I’m pleased to recognize KMLCT, St. Clare’s, and PARC, who have been chosen to partner with the City on these projects on the back of their many years of partnership and support in the communities they operate in.”

Both 11 Brock and 35 Bellevue will be made up of rent-geared-to-income homes, meaning residents will not pay more than 30% of their income or the shelter allowance of their social assistance on rent. On top of that, tenants will have access to supports aiming to improve their housing stability, health, and well-being.

The two projects represent a valiant effort from the City to combat Toronto’s growing homelessness problem and the overall housing crisis through a trail-blazing public development model — though, as Chow told STOREYS in an interview back in October 2023, government funding is imperative in the success of these projects and the affordable housing plan as a whole.

Also included in Monday’s media release is the fact that the City is awaiting requested funding from the Province to support the operating costs for support services at both sites. Additionally, the City requires a total of $12M annually beginning in 2025 in order to complete new supportive housing projects in 2025 and 2026.

And they need the Province to renew its current annual investment of $48M for another three years to ensure the ongoing stability of support services in over 3,000 existing supportive homes in Toronto, according to the media release.
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