Throughout October, UrbanToronto is offering a special State of Housing editorial series examining the pressing housing challenges facing Toronto and the greater Golden Horseshoe area.
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Toronto's Planning and Housing Committee has received its annual progress update on the 2020-2030 HousingTO Action Plan and 2022-2026 Housing Action Plan, outlining progress in affordable housing delivery and tenant protections. Despite a decline in private sector activity, city-sponsored developments accounted for 65% of all new housing starts between January and August 2025, with nearly 30,000 rent-controlled, affordable, income-based, and subsidized apartments approved since 2020.
“This report shows the progress we are making to build more affordable homes and support renters in the face of unprecedented housing pressures,” said Mayor Olivia Chow. “Together with the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario, we can build even more homes and provide Torontonians with the affordable housing they need.”
As of the end of 2024, the city had approved 29,744 new rent-controlled, affordable, income-driven and supportive housing units, reaching 46% of its goal of 65,000 housing units under the HousingTO plan. This included 18,859 affordable rental units, 8,166 rent-controlled units, 2,719 income-controlled units and 1,812 supportive units.
Statistics from the 2024-2025 HousingTO Progress Report, City of Toronto image
Construction activity reflected this progress: nearly 1,000 affordable homes began work in 2024, 632 were completed, and another 863 are scheduled to open by the end of 2025. There are currently 23 community housing projects under construction, part of a growing pipeline of more than 250 additional affordable rental projects.
The city is expanding non-market housing through its new public development model and taking a direct role in the use of public lands for affordable housing. Construction began in 2024 at 11 Brock Avenue and 35 Bellevue Avenue, both developed in collaboration with municipal housing associations.
11 Brock Avenue, designed by SvN for the City of Toronto
The city also works to preserve existing affordable housing through acquisition, regulation and tenant assistance. With a historic $100 million investment in the program in 2024 and 2025, the Multi-Unit Residential Acquisition (MURA) program secured 1,076 apartments by the end of 2024, with more than 700 added last year alone, including 56 for Indigenous households, bringing the city closer to its 1,500 housing unit goal. While the preservation of affordable housing was further strengthened, property tax relief and repair grants helped low-income seniors maintain their homes.
A new rental renovation license statute, in effect since July 2025, requires landlords to obtain a permit before major renovations to curb illegal “renovations.” Meanwhile, housing stability programs like Toronto Rent Bank and Eviction Prevention in Community have helped more than 3,100 households avoid eviction in 2024, and nearly 12,000 households have avoided eviction since 2020, exceeding the city's 10-year goal.
To speed up implementation, the city has restructured its internal processes around housing permits and project coordination. The newly established Development Review Department streamlines review timelines for housing and infrastructure projects, while a dedicated Housing Development Office now oversees the advancement of City-led and supported construction projects.
35 Bellevue Avenue, designed by Montgomery Sisam Architects for St. Clare's, Kensington Market Community Land Trust and City of Toronto
The report emphasizes that further progress depends on federal and state support. Through the federal Build Canada Homes initiative, Toronto sees an opportunity to deliver more than 4,000 supportive, affordable and market-ready rental homes on public lands within the next 12 to 18 months. The city is seeking renewed provincial funding of $48 million annually for three years, plus $16 million in 2026 and $23 million in 2027, for 730 new supportive homes to open between 2025 and 2027.
“The City of Toronto is making progress to develop more rental housing, including affordable housing, while implementing measures to preserve existing affordable housing and protect renters,” said Councilor Gord Perks, Chair of the Planning and Housing Committee. “We have shown we are ready to take immediate action and are calling for additional funding from both the federal and provincial governments to finance and release more housing.”
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UrbanToronto's research and data service, UTPro, provides comprehensive data on construction projects in the Greater Golden Horseshoe – from proposal to completion. Other services include instant reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, that tracks projects from the first application.
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Thank you to the businesses joining UrbanToronto to celebrate State of Housing Month.