Maroc - STOREYS.COM - A La Une - 12/Jul 14:21

It’s Been One Year Of Olivia Chow. Here’s What She’s Done For Housing

She may have inherited a punishing housing crisis, but Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow describes her first year at the helm of city hall as “fabulous.”“It’s an honour to be the mayor of the fastest-growing city in North America,” Chow tells STOREYS. “Biggest number of cranes; we are building and building and building.”Although it’s no simple feat to sum up everything Chow’s done for housing in Toronto since taking office on July 12, 2023 — while doing her achievements justice, that is — the main takeaway is that she’s already made good on many of the promises she issued while on the campaign trail, staying true to her emphasis on affordable housing and proving to be a champion for renters. Off the top: Chow has been instrumental in getting a new housing plan off the ground last year; it will see 65,000 new rent-controlled homes fast-tracked over the next seven years through a trail-blazing public development model, as well as an updated definition for what “affordable housing” actually entails in the context of today. She has also rallied behind putting more resources toward the rent bank, the Eviction Prevention in the Community program, and Multi-Unit Residential Acquisition program, as well as updates to the inaugural RentSafeTO program, including new rules for city inspections, a more hands-on system for tenant complaints, and increased fees for non-compliance. And let’s not forget her work involving sheltering refugees.Most recently, Chow’s put her weight behind increased density on major streets to permit more townhouses and six-storey residential buildings with up to 60 units on major streets in residential areas. This move is forecasted to open up space on some 31,000 lots throughout the city.And then, just a few week ago, Council passed a new bylaw to keep renovictions in check — something Chow emphasized that she would focus on before taking office last summer — and that requires landlords to apply for a renovation licence seven days before issuing a notice to a tenant.Times are tough for renters, Chow says. “So we just launched the rental housing supply programs, and that would immediately create 6,000 non-profit and co-op homes.”“And we just approved two new communities, one at East Harbour and Villiers Island,” she goes on to say. “We know that our city is growing, we have a lot of people moving into the city, and they need homes. So we are making zoning changes, building more housing, and speeding up the approval times — we’re working to [make] approval faster and easier. And recently I spoke to a cooperative housing developer... and he said he put in a zoning application in April and Council just approved it. That's three months, that’s fast.”Chow has also made a number of key appointments at city hall over the past year, including councillors Gord Perks and Brad Bradford who have moved into roles in the Planning and Housing Committee, as well as councillors Ausma Malik and Amber Morley in the City’s Striking Committee and sixplex champion Councillor Jamaal Myers as the new chair of the TTC. “They're new, they’re also racialized, so they come in with diverse opinions, diverse points of view,” says Chow. “Who they represent [is] really reflective of the city.” Although it’s clear that Chow hasn't shied away from city hall ‘rookies,’ so to speak, she’s also well-aware that experience tends to count, pointing to deputy mayors Mike Colle and Jennifer McKelvie, who bring to the table “historical perspective” on how city hall works. Looking ahead to year two of her mayorship, Chow stresses that there is still so much work to do. “I need more land,” she says, adding that her hope is that Toronto can work with other levels of government to “build together” and bring more rental apartments to the city.“And we need more shelters, because there are so many refugees, newcomers coming to the city — which is great, you know, we’re a global beacon of hope, but it’s challenging as we don't have enough affordable housing and shelters are full,” Chow says. “And one last thing that I really would like are rent supplements, so that we can provide... subsidies for people that are maybe a 100 bucks, 200 bucks short on rent. It's so much more expensive for them in the shelter, but if we could subsidize the rent a little bit, then they would have a place they can call home.”