in July 20th, Mayor John Tory alongside the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing, Diversity and Inclusion, the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Youth and Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre, Deputy Mayor Ana Bailão (Davenport) and Councillor Robin Buxton Potts (Toronto Centre), announced the opening of 24 new affordable homes with supports at 292-296 Parliament St. These homes will be dedicated to people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness, including families and older adults.
This initiative is part of the work that the City of Toronto is doing to create new affordable homes with supports to ensure everyone has a safe place to call home, and since 2020 the City of Toronto has led the development of almost 1,000 new supportive homes at 12 locations across the city.
The building on Parliament Street includes large self-contained studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, each with a bathroom and a kitchen. It also has amenities such as shared laundry, communal areas and programming spaces.
The building is operated by an experienced non-profit housing provider, St. Jude Community Homes (SJCH), who will ensure 24/7 support are provided for tenants. SJCH will provide a range of services for tenants including support for mental health and well-being, meal programs and on-site support services.
SJCH operates three existing buildings located in close proximity to 292-296 Parliament St. and has a deep understanding of the community, including a strong familiarity with the network of service agencies in the neighbourhood. SJCH will be partnering with COTA and several other downtown east community organizations to provide additional housing support services at 292-296 Parliament St. Permanent affordable homes with supports are needed across Toronto, including in the Downtown East, to create safe, healthy and inclusive communities.
The City acquired the property at 292-296 Parliament St. in 2021 and undertook renovations to convert the building into safe, permanent affordable homes. This project received capital funding from the federal government under Phase 1 of the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI). RHI funding allows the City to effectively respond to the urgent need for more affordable and supportive housing by providing a rapid, dignified response that connects people experiencing and at risk of homelessness with homes and appropriate supports to help them achieve stability. Recently, the Government of Ontario committed to provide $27 million in operating funding for the support services that will be delivered at the City’s new supportive homes, including this location. The creation of 24 new permanent supportive homes at 292-296 Parliament St. showcases the necessity for all levels of government to work together to address homelessness in Toronto.
The Rapid Housing Initiative is delivered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, under the National Housing Strategy. The Initiative was launched in October 2020 to help address urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians, especially in the context of COVID-19, through the rapid construction of affordable and supportive housing. A second Phase of RHI was announced in July, 2021. Across Phase 1 and 2, the City has received more than $400 million to create almost 1,000 new affordable and supportive homes. Due to this success, an additional $1.5 billion for the RHI was announced through Budget 2021.
