Toronto is grappling with a growing housing affordability and homelessness crisis. The City’s budget process presents a vital opportunity to uphold its commitment to the right to housing by prioritizing and maximizing investments in programs, services, and infrastructure that address the needs of residents most affected by the crisis.
On January 21 and 22, Toronto residents can address the budget committee to voice their priorities for the 2025 City Budget. With input from community partners including Social Planning Toronto, ACORN, Don Valley Community Legal Services, The Neighbourhood Organization, the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario and No Demovictions we crafted key messages emphasizing the urgent need to fund renter supports and preserve affordable housing. We presented them at the Housing Deputation Workshop on January 17, hosted by Social Planning Toronto.
Join us is sharing these key messages and we encourage you to use them when you speak at the Budget Committee at this week’s public hearings/deputation sessions or through written submissions. Make your voice heard and help shape a budget that reflects the urgent needs of our communities.
To better address this crisis, we urge the Budget Committee to increase investments in key initiatives:
Renter Supports
- Toronto Rent Bank: Increase funding to provide financial assistance to more low-income individuals and families, and expand eligibility to Ontario Works & Ontario Disability Support Program recipients.
- Eviction Prevention in the Community (EPIC): Support the new Interim Rent Relief Pilot targeting households who are transitioning from a lower to a higher income, and provide increased and sustained program funding for tenants at risk of homelessness.
- Toronto Tenant Support Program (TTSP): Increase funding for TTSP organizations to deliver legal supports, as well as enhanced tenant outreach, education, and engagement activities. Additionally, expand funding to more community organizations to provide services.
- Housing Help Centres: Increase funding to support unhoused people in accessing housing and avoiding eviction.
Housing benefits, subsidies and social housing
- Portable Housing Benefits (Housing Allowance): Create a city-funded program to provide portable housing benefits to Toronto residents in the private rental housing market, prioritizing persons experiencing homelessness, survivors of gender-based violence, and Indigenous persons.
- Toronto Community Housing and Seniors Housing: Prioritize and invest in rent-geared-to-income (RGI) social housing that remains affordable in perpetuity, for those most in need including seniors.
Affordable housing preservation
- Multi-Unit Residential Acquisition (MURA): Increase funding for the City to purchase at-risk private market rental housing to secure homes as permanently affordable non-profit housing and maximize funding for the greatest impact. Additionally, increase vacant home tax and use revenue towards funding the MURA program long-term.
- Multi-Tenant Houses (MTH): Increase funding for the MTH Renovation and Repair fund to support operators to come into compliance with the new framework and to prevent tenant displacement for some of the most marginalized individuals in the city. Additionally, increase funding to support enhanced outreach, education, and supports for MTH tenants.
- Renovictions bylaw: Support increased funding to support the implementation of the new Rental Renovation. License Program, including new permanent staff for administration, investigation, and enforcement activities, as well as additional funding for a comprehensive public education and communications strategy.
- Rental replacement policy: Hire City staff to ensure that developers provide adequate replacement units to displaced tenants facing eviction due to demolition.
- RentSafeTO: Support the hiring of additional inspectors, fully funded by an increase to the Registration Fee for. Apartment Buildings, to ensure apartment buildings are maintained in good condition.