Imagine a City with Inclusionary Housing

Imagine a city in which:

The amount of affordable housing was growing in every neighbourhood with every new development.

• The people who work in banks, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, schools, coffee shops could afford to live in the neighbourhood they serve.
• People of all cultures and backgrounds could live together in diverse, vibrant neighbourhoods
• All housing developers were building some affordable homes
• Young people starting out in the work force could find homes in the neighbourhoods of their choice.
• People moving out of poverty can afford a new home and build equity for the future

Imagine a city in which:

• The planning process always includes measures for affordable housing for all
• The promise of the Toronto Housing Charter “All residents should be able to live their neighbourhood of choice without discrimination” is made possible by providing affordable housing in every neighbourhood
• Public investments in transit, schools, and other infrastructure, as well as community investments in diverse businesses, cultural enterprises, restaurants, etc that make neighbourhoods attractive to new development also results in new affordable housing these neighbourhoods
• Developers create affordable housing in exchange for the ability to make a reasonable profit developing housing in diverse, vibrant neighbourhoods.

These are some of the things that Inclusionary Housing programs can begin to do.

Inclusionary Housing is a promise and a commitment.  It is a promise of more integrated neighbourhoods in which people of all income levels and ethno-racial backgrounds can live together in diverse, vibrant communities

It is a commitment to a planning process that makes affordable housing part of all development plans.

This promise and this commitment will only come true if the city develops a comprehensive plan to:

• Harness to the fullest extent possible the existing powers it has to make affordable housing part of new development
• Use any new powers that may become available through provincial legislation to create mandatory Inclusionary Housing programs that would apply to all new development.
• Make sure that all city-owned lands and lands owned by other public agencies (i.e. TTC) that are being redeveloped for housing include affordable housing as part of the redevelopment process.