Toronto – The City of Toronto unveiled recommendations to help permit multiplexes in all neighbourhoods to support building new homes for people.
A City staff report going before the Planning and Housing Committee on Thursday, April 27, recommends amendments to the City’s Official Plan and city-wide Zoning Bylaw to enable the development of multiplexes – low-rise housing with two, three or four units in a single building – in all neighbourhoods throughout the city. The recommended changes aim to permit more housing in all low-rise neighbourhoods while largely maintaining their built form and landscape amenities.
This initiative is one component of the City’s 2023 Housing Action Plan, which seeks to increase the supply of housing within complete, inclusive and sustainable communities with critical infrastructure to support growth.
Toronto is a dynamic, growing city which continues to attract newcomers. Current and future residents will need homes and to accommodate the diversity of household sizes and compositions, the city needs a diverse range of housing options. While there has been housing growth through mid- and high-rise apartment buildings concentrated in densely populated areas of the city, the supply of low-rise housing, such as multiplexes, has not kept up with the demand.
To remove barriers and enable the creation of more low-rise housing, the report proposes an Official Plan Amendment to permit multiplexes in residential areas across the city and a Zoning By-law Amendment to implement these permissions in all residential zones.
The report also recommends a monitoring program, which will track uptake and identify issues related to achieving multiplex housing.
The recommendations in the report were informed by feedback received through extensive public consultation, the latest round of which launched on February 9. The City released a revised draft Official Plan Amendment and a draft Zoning Bylaw Amendment on the City’s website. Members of the public were invited to submit comments via e-mail, attend a virtual public consultation and complete a survey about the amendments.
The full Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods: Multiplex Study – Final Report is available on the City’s website 
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More information about the City’s HousingTO 2020-2023 Action Plan is available on the City’s website.
“We have to get more housing built for people across our city. Expanding multiplex development will help create more homes for people in all neighbourhoods. It is the right thing to do and I believe it will make sure we have a vibrant city for more families to live in.” – Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park)
“Multiplexes have a long history in some Toronto neighbourhoods, providing desirable housing for many different types of households. Our recommendations to permit multiplex housing across all neighbourhoods will enable property owners to create housing for extended families or rental units for tenants. This is an important step to removing exclusionary zoning and will contribute to the City’s housing goals.” – Gregg Lintern, Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning