Here's what advocates say were the biggest wins and losses for affordable housing in 2023
CBC
Toronto's housing crisis contributed to record numbers of residents having to choose this year between paying rent and buying food.
But there may be a silver lining, according to Mark Richardson, technical lead of Housing NowTO.
"It sometimes takes a crisis for people to start taking the solution seriously, and for governments to be willing to put their hand in their pocket and start to write the big checks that they need to write," he said.
CBC Toronto spoke with affordable housing advocates and experts to identify some of 2023's biggest wins — and where there's work yet to be done.
1. The elimination of GST and HST on purpose-built rentals
This fall, the federal government, followed by the provincial government, announced plans to eliminate GST and HST on new purpose-built rental housing with the aim of spurring development.
Eric Lombardi, a housing advocate with More Neighbours Toronto, says he thinks it will make it "more competitive to build … that's a big one."
"Purpose-built rental is what we need in order to make sure that affordability is spread out throughout the spectrum of renters," said Mwarigha, a vice president at WoodGreen Community Services, one of the city's largest social services agencies.
Mwarigha called the move "a really positive thing."
Richardson says he thinks it will mean more developers will choose to build purpose-built rental units in 2024 rather than condo projects.
2. The Housing Accelerator Fund
The federal government's Housing Accelerator Fund, introduced in the 2022 budget, allocates $4 billion until 2026-27 to encourage more building in cities.
Sean Fraser, federal housing minister since July, brought the program into the public eye with letters — written to municipalities and made public on social media — advising cities of housing reform policies they need to put in place to unlock the federal cash.
Fraser is a "champion" for creating a funding stream with strings attached, Lombardi said.
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