Toronto – Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park), Chair of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee, was joined by the Councillor for Beaches-East York and Chair of the Planning & Housing Committee, as well as Patricia Mueller, CEO of Homes First Society, to celebrate the opening of 84 new deeply affordable supportive homes for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Residents will begin moving into the new affordable homes at 222 Spadina Ave. starting in May 2023 and will pay no more than 30 per cent of their income towards rent.
Homes First Society, a highly experienced non-profit housing organization, will operate the building and provide 24/7 onsite support services. In addition to a good quality, secure and affordable home, all residents will have access to a range of wraparound support services. These support services, aimed at improving residents’ overall housing and health outcomes, will include housing stability services, a food program, clinical supports, life skills training and a variety of community-based programs.
In 2021, the City of Toronto acquired three floors of the former Super 8 Hotel at 222 Spadina Ave. to create these homes. The hotel was renovated to make 84 self-contained apartments, community space, administrative and programming rooms and a new outdoor amenity space on the fifth floor. There are 79 studio apartments, three one-bedroom apartments and two two-bedroom apartments.
This project was made possible through a strong partnership between the federal, provincial and municipal governments. The project received capital funding from the federal government under Phase 1 of the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI). The Province has committed to providing operating funding to deliver a range of wraparound support services. The City invested capital funding and financial incentives to support delivery of this site and ensure long-term affordability, including a waiver of fees and charges, as well as an exemption from property taxes for 99 years.
RHI is delivered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) under the National Housing Strategy (NHS). Across RHI Phase 1 and 2, the City has received more than $440 million to create almost 1,100 new affordable and supportive homes for Toronto residents in need.
RHI funding supports the implementation of the City’s HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan (HousingTO Plan), which targets the approval of 40,000 new affordable rental homes with 18,000 supportive homes to help increase housing stability for Toronto residents over the next 10 years.
More information is available in the HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan.
“The City of Toronto is working to get more affordable and supportive homes built for more residents as quickly as possible. I’m thankful to the federal and provincial governments for their ongoing commitments to creating affordable and supportive housing in Toronto. Supportive affordable housing projects such as 222 Spadina Ave. are vital to effectively address the urgent housing needs of communities in Toronto. This is just one of the many ways our HousingTO Plan works to ensure that no one is left behind. There are more than 100 affordable housing projects in the City’s development pipeline that are led or supported by the City. Once completed, these projects will provide more than 20,000 affordable rental and supportive homes.” – Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park), Chair of Infrastructure and Environment Committee
“I’m excited to welcome new residents to 222 Spadina Ave. This new affordable supportive housing is more than just a place to live. It’s a place to call home and a supportive community that improves the health and well-being of Toronto residents and contributes to our vibrant neighbourhoods. My gratitude to our neighbours in Spadina-Fort York, Homes First Society, and our provincial and federal partners for working to hard to make this important project a reality. Together, we can commit to more projects like this that set a dignified standard for the kind of housing we need across Toronto.” – Councillor Ausma Malik (Spadina-Fort York)