Toronto’s already-severe housing shortage may be heading in the wrong direction as rental and condo projects are being cancelled mid-way through, and the trend could last for several years and further intensify the city’s affordability crunch. Inflation, rising interest rates that make financing homebuilding and homebuying more expensive and higher construction costs are just a
In today’s frenzied real estate market, Toronto home buyers are doing just about anything to win the bid, including waiving the right to a home inspection. The home inspection clause is a standard condition in an offer, meant to inform and protect the buyer. Instead, buyers are using it as leverage. And the risk of
Rather than being used to house the homeless, a set of modular housing units are now sitting unused in a lot in Toronto. That is because the province has not issued a Minister’s Zoning Order or MZO for the site at 175 Cummer Ave. in the Willowdale neighbourhood that is necessary for the units to
Prices in the Greater Toronto Area real estate market continue to spike. And with the increases come never-ending calls for more and more housing to be built as the only answer to tackle what many are describing as an affordable housing crisis. But is that the only answer? We asked two housing experts for their
In the first weeks of 2022, Torontonians have experienced multiple extreme cold weather warnings, risk of frostbite and wild chills with a feel of -30 C. It marks another year of brutal winter conditions in the city, without enough safe places to stay for homeless individuals. Coupling extreme weather events with the largest wave of
Over three years after small laneway houses began popping up in Toronto’s back alleys, the city is now proposing to add a new type of housing to its supply — garden suites. Garden suites are similar to laneway suites, in that they are a vestige of a house, but rather than face a laneway, they
Toronto city council has voted to adopt a new Inclusionary Zoning policy that will require developers to include affordable housing in their developments. The city is the first in Ontario to implement such a policy. It will require new developments with over 100 units total and near major transit stations to make five to 10
Karen Stintz is a former city councillor, elected in 2003, and was a chair of the TTC. She lives in Ward 8. Affordability of housing is becoming recognized as one of the greatest policy challenges in urban centres. The housing market continues to defy logic, and prices have increased to the point that home ownership
PANELLISTS Barry Cohen, Luxury Homes Specialist; Principal, Barry Cohen Homes Inc. Odeen Eccleston, Co-founder (Wiltshire Homes Canada) & Broker of Record (WE Realty Inc.) Jennifer Keesmaat, CEO, The Keesmaat Group Michele Romanow, Dragon on CBC’s Dragons’ Den; Co-founder & President, Clearbanc William Strange, SmartCentres Professor of Real Estate and Director – Centre for Real
The city’s modular housing initiative at 150 Harrison St. and 11 Macey Ave. will now be overseen by two not-for-profit organizations — The Neighbourhood Group (TNG) and COTA Health. The organizations will provide support services this fall under a 35-year term agreement. “Supportive housing combines affordable housing with coordinated services, and can truly make a
Columnist John Sewell is a former mayor of Toronto and the author of a number of urban planning books, including The Shape of the Suburbs. There is nothing more frustrating than to see a good idea ruined by poor execution. The good idea is quickly becomes debased. The good idea for Toronto City Council is
The City of Toronto announced progress in providing more affordable housing in Cabbagetown. The city’s partnership with Dixon Hall and Toronto Community Housing to renovate affordable, multi-tenant rooming housing at 502-508 Parliament St., will now receive $6 million in Section 37 community benefits, allowing the revitalization to proceed this fall and be ready for occupancy
A new City of Toronto program will help newcomers experiencing homelessness during COVID-19. The program, operated on behalf of the city by the community agency, WoodGreen Community Services, is providing 70 vacant units in Regent Park as temporary housing for refugees and asylum seekers. Move-ins will take place on a phased in-basis starting from mid-July
What was once a parking lot in Toronto’s Kensington Market has been transformed into an affordable housing project that will provide safe accommodation for 22 of the city’s most vulnerable residents. Located at 25 Leonard Ave., the new three-storey rental building will be owned and operated by St. Clare’s, a charitable housing organization in Toronto.
Columnist John Sewell is a former mayor of Toronto and the author of a number of urban planning books, including The Shape of the Suburbs. If you are hankering to buy real estate and become a landlord, now is the time to do it. Interest rates are the lowest they will be for a while,
Post City Magazines’ columnist John Sewell is a former mayor of Toronto and the author of a number of urban planning books, including The Shape of the Suburbs. On a cold February day I lunched at the fish bar in Eataly, on the second floor of Manulife Centre. Our window table overlooked the Bay-Bloor intersection
Post City Magazines’ columnist Brad Lamb is the CEO of Brad J. Lamb Realty Inc. and Lamb Development Corp. He has more than 30 years of industry experience. Reducing height restrictions around public transportation, like we have at Yonge and Eglinton and are starting to see at Yonge and St. Clair is a good first
The City of Toronto has approved four sites for affordable housing developments — but not all residents are happy about it. The city is offering its own land worth $100 million, according to a city report, for the four developments. The sites are located at 140 Merton St. in midtown, 50 Wilson Heights Blvd. in
The city’s most insightful experts convened for our 12th annual event in front of a live audience at the Rotman School of Management
A spin on a viral meme proves the city’s real estate market has seen plenty of price increases over the past decade
This spring, 12 of the city’s most prominent and opinionated real estate experts gathered in a boardroom at the prestigious Granite Club in North Toronto for a spirited exchange on the state of Toronto’s real estate market.
I think the biggest cause of the increased cost of housing, rental and ownership, is the extraordinary growth spurt Toronto finds itself in. The economy around here is booming, with unemployment rates lower than they have been for many years. People want to be here in this city.
As America slides into more authoritarianism and unlawfulness, many Americans and Venezuelans with temporary residency permits could come to Canada. Not as draft dodgers, but as Trump dodgers. And many will be headed to Toronto. Toronto has been a safe haven for many different people since the Second World War: from southern Italy fleeing limited
Post City Magazines, Streets of Toronto and Rotman School of Management brought together 10 of the city’s top real estate experts for our 18th annual Real Estate Roundtable! The live event was held on March 5 at Canada’s top business school, Rotman School of Management. For the past 17 years, our expert panelists have accurately predicted
Former Toronto mayor David Miller has been asked by Marit Stiles, the leader of the provincial New Democratic Party, to do a consultation and provide advice on empowering cities. We are all aware of how little control cities have over their own decisions. Premier Ford has treated Toronto as his plaything, most recently deciding that
