Residents in Toronto’s Regent Park Borough — one of the nation’s largest public housing locations — have concerns about plans for the final two phases of the revitalization project as they prepare for borough council consideration.
On July 19, city councilors may decide whether to support the Toronto Residential Company (TCHC) and project promoter Tridel’s rezoning proposal that would allow the construction of 633 public housing units, 637 affordable housing, 1,976 units at market rate and a new public library in this central district of the city of Reine.
But nothing is sunk in concrete. First, although the city of Toronto updated its definition of affordable housing two years ago, construction of the 637 housing units is tied to financial support from other levels of government and affordability.
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The old buildings of the Regent Park area would be replaced with new buildings as part of the real estate project. (archive photo)
Photo: Radio Canada / Alex Lupul
The housing company plans to build 633 social housing units, but this use is only guaranteed for 40 years. The city claims in an email that TCHC cannot change usage without City Hall approval and pledges not to change its function after those four decades, but that’s not enough for certain members of the community.
It’s a big failure that needs to be fixed.
Gail Lynch, who lives in a neighborhood apartment share, worries about the rest. Even before the last two phases are completed, we are faced with challenges in using leisure activities in the neighborhood. You build big rounds, but do you have the services to support them? asks the local resident.
Edited district
The Regent Park district has changed rapidly over the past 20 years, as has the city of which it is a part. The district, which previously had no services, received a state-of-the-art water sports center and cultural center in 2012.
By the end of phases 4 and 5, 2,083 social housing units, 1,064 new affordable housing units and 6,644 current price units – two-thirds of all housing in the real estate project – will have been built.
Changes in the political class testify to the duration of the real estate project. Since its inception, five mayors have headed Toronto, three prime ministers have governed the province, and four others have headed the country, while TCHC has had six CEOs.
Remediation usually takes a generation.
One of the only constants: questions about financing the project. The latter right is no exception, while the parties involved have the ball rolling as far as construction costs are concerned.
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Urban planning teacher Shauna Brail points out that the regeneration of the Regent Park area has been going on for years.
Photo: Radio Canada / Screenshot
Analysis by the City of Toronto planners, who are recommending that city councils approve the zoning application, shows that funding for the 637 new affordable housing units is currently unresolved.
The city stated via email that it would continue to reiterate its demands from the federal and state governments for new investments. Ontario’s Department of Community Affairs is eager to work with its partners to find solutions to the housing crisis, but does not say if it will fund construction of the 637 housing units.
A spokesman for the Minister for Housing, Diversity and Inclusion, Ahmed Hussen, says that he works closely with the other government decisions and project promoters, but his office cannot disclose any information on specific requests.
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The spokesman for the federal minister for housing, Ahmed Hussen, says that the minister is working closely with other government contracts on housing construction. (archive photo)
Photo: Radio Canada
In 2021, the City of Toronto introduced a new definition of affordable housing. The rent is considered affordable if it amounts to a maximum of 30% of the different salary limits set by the city. If applied, the city estimates tenants could save hundreds of dollars per month compared to the previous definition.
In an email, the city again cites uncertainty about funding, but claims the new definition will serve as a guide, but the affordability of the 637 new units will depend on available funding. Additionally, Toronto has yet to determine how long units will need to be affordable.
The city’s lack of clarity angers Walied Khogali and Gail Lynch. Everyone is concerned about the affordability of the 637 units. Authorities are playing with words and running petty politics around the concept, observes Gail Lynch.
The use of the new definition must be guaranteed.
social mission
Beyond the construction of the buildings, urban planner Shauna Brail hopes that the various project stakeholders, such as promoter Tridel, will not reduce Regent Park’s population.
The community was constantly denied the social infrastructure, but in the past it fell through due to a lack of funding, explains the professor.
When promoter Tridel won TCHC’s bid to be its business partner for the final two phases, it pledged to invest almost $27 million in the community over the next 10 to 15 years. In autumn, citizens will decide what they want to spend this money on (new window).
In a report published in 2021, Shauna Brail explains that organizations are fighting over the 27 million. A worker at a neighborhood agency is quoted in the memoir as saying that everyone is hungry for money.
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Community leader Walied Khogali laments the lack of common spaces provided as part of the project.
Photo: Radio Canada / Screenshot
Not all organizations receive the same sums of money and in addition probably have to fight for common rooms.
The housing association and promoter plan to make 3,714 square meters of space in different buildings available for non-profit organizations. The Walied Khogali association is demanding at least 2,000 more.
The promises made by the project sponsor correspond neither to our current ones nor to those of the future, says Walied Khogali.
good and bad things
When asked if the political class of all colors had depopulated over the past two decades, Gail Lynch replied that there had been victories and failures.
“We have great facilities and it’s good that the residents aren’t living in the horrible buildings that were there,” she says. However, she regrets that members of the community have left the neighborhood and cannot return, while children cannot use the water center.
“We can learn from our successes just as we can learn from our challenges,” she concludes.