Toronto ACORN Inclusionary Zoning Final Vote Update
Posted November 9, 2021
Posted November 9, 2021
30+ ACORN members and allies held a rally at City Hall today, ahead of the vote on Inclusionary Zoning FINALLY happening. It’s been a long fight (13 years, depending how you count it). ACORN members are happy to have won the policy, but disappointed that it could have been much stronger. In 2008 we released a report with Richard Drdla calling for Inclusionary Zoning powers for municipalities in Ontario.
Inclusionary Zoning is an affordable housing policy that requires a percentage of units in all new developments set aside as affordable housing. ACORN members and allies were demanding that Toronto’s Inclusionary zoning policy:
- Require the MAXIMUM amount of units set aside as permanent, deeply affordable, rental housing
- IZ must be fully phased in by 2025 – we can’t wait till 2030
- It must be fully phased in at 20 to 30% – which city studies have shown will allow developers to get 15% profit and landowners to get 10% above the value of their land
- It must prioritize affordable rental housing, which is more affordable for lower income households, in all developments, by targeting set aside rates which will incentivize rental over ownership
- Maintain the current proposal of units being affordable for 99 years
- Bring in a new definition of ‘affordable’, based on income NOT market rent
- That IZ policies apply to all new developments with 60 units or more
We are extremely thankful to former MPP Cheri DiNovo who introduced Private Member Bills FIVE TIMES for IZ. When the Ontario Provincial Liberals introduced bills on IZ, between 2015 and 2018, ACORN members and allies across Ontario pushed for enabling legislation, which we won in 2018.
We made alot of progress on an IZ policy in Toronto between 2018 and 2021. Originally units would only be affordable for 25 years, and IZ requirements would only apply to a small slice of the buildings.
What council voted on today – units affordable for 99 years, IZ applying to the entire development are huge victories that ACORN members and allies won through the hard work of organizing. That said, council voted to protect developer profits rather than the right to housing
We look forward to the review in one year of IZ (which is also a victory – and we forced THE MAYOR to introduce it (no small feat)). Send a message to your councillor TODAY – let them know people vote, developers donate, and their job depends on US
We will continue to organize, build power, and fight for an affordable city over the next year. With Provincial and municipal elections coming up in 2022, politicians will have to pick a side – people or profit.
PRESS:
CityNews: City council approves motion forcing developers to build more affordable units
REMI Network: Toronto approves controversial Inclusionary Zoning policy
TRNTO: Toronto is the first city in Ontario to require affordable housing in developments
CBC News: Toronto’s new policy to introduce more affordable housing met with mixed reaction
CP24: Toronto’s new policy to introduce more affordable housing met with mixed reaction
