{"id":6078,"date":"2022-08-24T13:15:47","date_gmt":"2022-08-24T17:15:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acorncanada.org\/toronto-star-john-tory-pledges-increased-housing-density\/"},"modified":"2022-08-31T17:38:55","modified_gmt":"2022-08-31T21:38:55","slug":"toronto-star-john-tory-pledges-increased-housing-density","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/acorncanada.org\/news\/toronto-star-john-tory-pledges-increased-housing-density\/","title":{"rendered":"Toronto Star: John Tory pledges increased housing density if he\u2019s re-elected \u2014 but will city council go along?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Posted August 24, 2022<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Mayor John Tory\u2019s campaign pledge to boost affordable housing hinges on swaths of Toronto becoming denser and taller, a change resisted by many of his city council allies who want to preserve single-family enclaves.<\/span><\/p>\n

On Tuesday, Tory, 68, released his five-point plan to address the housing crisis \u2014 the first announcement of his campaign to win a third term in office in the Oct. 24 civic election. He faces 30 challengers<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tory promises options to permit \u201cmissing middle housing\u201d \u2014 duplexes, townhomes or small apartment blocks \u2014 and allow \u201cgreater mid-range density on major roads and in areas served by transit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The plan also includes: speeding up building approvals via a new city \u201cdevelopment and growth\u201d division using existing staff; helping create more co-op, supportive and affordable housing by allocating city land to non-profits; and spurring construction of rental buildings by reducing fees and charges.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tory also says he would ask the Ontario government to let the city enact a \u201cuse it or lose it\u201d policy for land that sits undeveloped despite approvals for housing construction.<\/span><\/p>\n

His campaign said such land \u201cwould be subject to higher taxes and have their zoning approvals expire. This does not contemplate expropriation,\u201d and would be determined by the Ontario government with input from homebuilders.<\/span><\/p>\n

Earlier this year a provincial task force found that a key driver of the affordable housing shortage is municipalities keeping most land off-limits to anything but single-family homes \u2014 70 per cent in Toronto\u2019s case.<\/span><\/p>\n

Toronto councillors routinely fight applications to build even so-called gentle density, such as stacked townhomes, among single-family homes. Tory has voted with councillors who cite residents\u2019 concerns about maintaining neighbourhood character and preventing increased traffic.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2017, city planners and Coun. Jaye Robinson successfully petitioned the Ontario Municipal Board to remove two rows of four-storey townhomes from a Keewatin Avenue development after residents decried \u201cdensity creep.\u201d<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

In 2019, opposition from Coun. Paul Ainslie and his constituents prompted a developer to cut dozens of affordable units and four-bedroom family units<\/a> from a development on former city land near Guildwood GO station in Scarborough.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tory suggested Tuesday, in response to a reporter\u2019s question, that strong-mayor powers<\/a> tied to provincial priorities that the Ford government plans to give to the leaders of Toronto and Ottawa, will help speed up the approval process.<\/span><\/p>\n

As to his council allies fighting density, Tory\u2019s campaign said he supports allowing greater density as the default rule for \u201cmajor roads\u201d and, if re-elected, will \u201cwork with councillors on getting his plan passed by council.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mark Richardson, a housing advocate with volunteer group HousingNowTO, echoed Tory\u2019s statement that a national housing shortage is being acutely felt in Toronto, but said \u201cthat is not a sentiment shared by the rest of our city councillors.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have yet to see how much willingness a \u2018strong mayor\u2019 would have to upset the neighbours \u2014 time will tell.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

HousingNowTO is \u201cbroadly supportive\u201d of Tory\u2019s plan, Richardson said, including a \u201cone-stop shop\u201d for handling all aspects of development review, streamlining and speeding up approval times.<\/span><\/p>\n

David Wilkes, chief executive of BILD, a developers\u2019 lobby group, told the Star his group is \u201cvery supportive\u201d of Tory\u2019s plan and believes it signals a \u201cdifferent approach\u201d to housing at city hall that will match the urgency of the problem.<\/span><\/p>\n

But BILD has concerns about the \u201cuse it or lose it\u201d proposal, Wilkes said, adding there are many reasons developers leave housing-approved lots vacant, including infrastructure shortages and unfavourable market conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Housing and tenant advocacy group ACORN panned Tory\u2019s plan as \u201cnot promising\u201d given that he has led Toronto for the past eight years as the housing crisis worsened.<\/span><\/p>\n

ACORN wants stronger protections against \u201crenovictions<\/a>\u201d and \u201ca plan that will work for low to moderate income families in Toronto.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/p>\n

Article by David Rider for the Toronto Star<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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