1. ACTO Rooming House Regulation Update
AUGUST 2017

2. Rooming houses excluded in most areas of the City

3. RECENT ROOMING HOUSE HISTORY
June, 2008 – Affordable Housing Committee requests review of rooming house zoning
December 2009 – staff recommends restricted expansion
January 2010 – City Council recommends consultation to report in Nov. 2011
September 2010 – zoning by-law passes, maintaining existing restrictions; appealed to OMB by ACTO
May 2011 – by-law repealed by Ford-led City Council
May 2013 – existing restrictions passed again in new by-law; appealed by ACTO
August 2014 – new consultation plan approved
June 2015 – consultation report issued
October 2016 – pilot project proposed for five areas; to be rolled out after a new round of consultations
Spring 2017 – consultation meetings on pilot projects…

4. What are these consultations about?
In October 2016, the Executive Committee of the Council of the City of Toronto directed a public consultation on a “rooming house strategy” that “aims to balance the need for affordable housing and the capacity of the city to protect tenants and neighbours from unsafe living conditions ”.
The strategy has two parts:
enacting temporary use by-laws that would allow rooming houses in five areas across the City where there is evidence of a concentration of this type of housing as a pilot project.
an enhanced licensing program for rooming houses that introduces new requirements to improve living conditions and to better engage neighboring properties.

10. What did we hear at these meetings?
Students come and go, they are not part of the community.
Pilot areas unfairly targeted; why isn’t there a pilot in the Bridal Path?
Seniors are being pushed aside, “hooligans and new immigrants” are taking over.
Need to address issue of absentee landlords; onsite property manager would be helpful.
One elderly resident said after the meeting “This is based on prejudice and fear – I felt intimidated at my table and did not want to engage”.
Need to find a way to address tenant complaints
Licensing could de-house people; the proposal requirements are also too onerous

11. What next?
Now that the consultation meetings are over, staff in the City Planning Division and the Municipal Licensing and Standards Division will be writing another report.
This report will recommend new by-laws to authorize the pilot projects and new licensing requirements.
This go to the City Executive Committee for consideration and public comment in October or November and then on to City Council.