Toronto city council approves multiplexes to address growing housing crisis

Toronto councillors have approved multiplexes across the city — a move some say will help address the growing housing crisis.

Council voted 18-7 in favour of legalizing two, three and four-unit multiplexes, which had previously not been allowed in many parts of the city because of restrictive zoning bylaws. Earlier Wednesday, council signed on to a provincial plan to build 285,000 homes within the city over the next decade. 

Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie said one way of achieving that target and addressing Toronto's serious housing crunch was to approve the multiplex plan.

"We need to do something that's hard," she said. "We need to come together to find consensus to move forward with multiplexes. And that's because we signed a pledge this morning."

The proposal is, and remains, controversial in some neighbourhoods where some fear introducing the new developments will impact housing costs or change the look of their streets. But city staff told council that by allowing new low-rise options can help address the growing demand for housing.

Toronto expecting 700,000 new residents by 2051

The city is expecting 700,000 new residents by 2051, but with sky-rocketing home and rental prices affordability is already a problem. 

Coun. Brad Bradford, who chairs the city's housing committee and is running for mayor, said the decision has been years in the making. He slammed some of his fellow councillors for attempting to delay it further with a motion to defer the debate that ultimately failed. 

"Why is there a motion for a deferral?" he asked. "Endless debate, deferral, delay — the hallmark of housing in this chamber for too many years."

Bradford said approving multiplexes will not be the only solution to Toronto's housing crisis.

"Is multiplex a panacea?" he said. "Of course it's not. There's no one silver bullet to solve the housing crisis. But we need 1,000 points of innovation."

Staff told councillors that the city's housing growth has largely been in mid and high-rise apartment buildings and they've been concentrated in Toronto's most densely populated areas. As the city grows, it needs more housing types in other areas and multiplexes can help meet that demand, they said.

That will come through expanding or rebuilding single-detached homes in the city's suburban neighbourhoods, staff said.

With the vote, council will change the types of permissions needed to build a multiplex, ensuring property owners who want to build one can now apply for a building permit rather than a much more rigourous approval to change the city's official plan or zoning by-laws.

Opponents push to defer multiplex debate

Opponents of the proposal said the city had not done enough to consult residents, especially in suburbs like Scarborough, Etobicoke and North York. Coun. Anthony Perruzza, who is also running for mayor, attempted unsuccessfully to have the debate deferred.

"They all have the right to weigh in, to have their opinions heard," he said. "Not ignored. Heard." 

Coun. Stephen Holyday, who represents Etobicoke-Centre, Ward 2, voted against the measure. He said his constituents are not happy about the size of the proposed multiplexes and that they don't guarantee affordable units will be built.

"I realize the dynamics are different in different parts of the city, but I'm here to represent the community that elected me ... and they are not happy with this particular policy," he said.

Coun. Gary Crawford, who represents Scarborough Southwest, Ward 20, said he too didn't think his constituents supported the plan.

"Scarborough is not in downtown Toronto," he said. "There are still distinct differences that attract Torontonians to move (to Scarborough). I was one of the many, many years ago."

But Coun. Jamaal Myers said the population of his ward is shrinking. Many who grew up in his ward, Scarborough North, can no longer afford to buy homes where they grew up, he said.

Until now, the city has only allowed development in a small part of Toronto and that needs to change, he said. 

Myers says when he knocks on doors nowadays, owners are generally older.

"The kids now live in Durham, sometimes as far away as London, Windsor, Ottawa, Montreal," he said.