Critics demand less talk, more action on zoning plan to tackle Toronto's housing 'emergency'

Critics are frustrated that city staffwant to hold moreconsultations on a popular proposalto open up more neighbourhoods to multi-family residential units, instead of acting more quickly to tackle Toronto's worsening housing crisis.

A report goingto city council's Planning and Housing Committeenext weeklays outa blueprint toexpand the development of multiplexes with two, three, or four residential units per lot. The document includesa survey that suggests more than 75 per cent of Torontonianssupport having more multiplexes throughout the city.

However, staff still want to continue consultations before bringing final zoning amendments to the committeein early 2023, well after voters go to the polls for municipal elections in October.

"There are many people with a lot of questions still. They want to know the details," Gregg Lintern, Toronto's chief planner, told CBC News Thursday.

"If council were to adopt those changes and if those changes were not appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal maybe next year, people could be looking at how to take advantage of these new permissions."

But critics say the city has no time to waste.Staff's own estimates showToronto will be short 42,000 single detached homes, semi detached homes and townhousesby 2051 if current construction trends continue. Only 12 per cent of land across the city is zoned for multiplexes right now. And prior attempts to build more density have met with resistance from residents' associations andcity councillorswhorepresent wards with many single-family neighbourhoods.

"It's a small step forward, but it's not going to do much to create much housing. It's going to create more bureaucracy," saidFrank Clayton, a senior research fellow at the Centre for Urban Research and Land Development.

Clayton says by opening the door to more consultations, there's a risk of watering down what progress has been made.

"Why aren't we treating it like an emergency and accelerating the planning process?" said Clayton.

Years in the making

Lintern says discussions around finding housing options that create more density, includingmultiplexes, started in the summer of 2019 at council's direction.

Since then, staff have metwith industry professionals, councillors and housing advocates. There have been14 public engagement projectsand eight conferences with experts and academics, as well asa public survey on multiplexes last year.

That survey drew7,728 responses with 77 per cent supporting zoning changes. That finding wasconsistent across residents in the city's neighbourhoods and amongage groups, income groups, as well asrenters and homeowners.

"People are realizing ...they might be getting priced out.If it's not them, it might be their children," said MattiSiemiatycki,a professor of geography and planning and the director of the Infrastructure Institute atthe University of Toronto.

The proposed change to zoning restrictions isin line with recommendations from the province's Housing Affordability Task Force, and isaimed at the70 per cent oflandin Toronto that'srestricted to single-detached or semi-detached homes.

Potential pushback

Although the report says residentssupport moremultiplexes, the changes would still need to fit the city's official plan.

Changes were proposed to the official plan in May. But the report states some respondents were concernedthe proposed languagestill advocatesrespecting the "existing and planned physical character" of neighbourhoods. They say that wouldhinder the approval of multiplexes.

Lintern stresses that if the zoning changes allowing multiplexes in more areas of the city do move forward, it willbe gradual and in line with existing height and width limitations..

Siemiatyckisays the consultationsshowthe city should move forward with the project and be prepared to go against the pushback that's likely to come from residents' groups in single-familyneighbourhoods.

But he says waiting until next year might be beneficial if it allows for a debate on the plan during this fall's municipal elections.

"This should be a campaign issue, and it should be discussed and voted on by Torontonians."