Item - 2019.PH5.2

The Planning and Housing Committee:  

1. Endorsed the proposed Official Plan Amendment containing the revised policies to address the loss of dwelling rooms, appended as Attachment 1b to the report (April 5, 2019) from Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, as the basis for consultation at an open house scheduled for May 6, 2019.

2. Directed the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to prepare a Final Recommendation Report with a recommended Official Plan Amendment containing revised policies to address the loss of dwelling rooms to be considered at a statutory Public Meeting held by the Planning and Housing Committee on May 28, 2019.

3. Directed the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to continue to use the Consultant's summary report on the consultations on the draft policies, appended as Attachment 2 to the report (April 5, 2019) from Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, when preparing the Final Recommendations report.

4. Requested the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to consider the public presentations and communications from the April 30, 2019 meeting in addition to the Consultant's summary report on the consultations when preparing the Revised Official Plan Policies to Address the Loss of Dwelling Rooms - Final Recommendations report.

5. Requested the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and the Director, Affordable Housing to consider the public presentations and communications during the development of the Housing Opportunities report.

6.  Requested the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and the Director, Affordable Housing to review the existing Rental Housing Replacement Policy.

This report presents the results of the consultations on the draft city-wide Official Plan Amendment to Section 3.2.1 Housing of the Official Plan with respect to policies to address the loss of dwelling rooms. Based on the feedback received through consultations, as well as additional analysis and consultation with City Divisions, the draft policies have been revised. A proposed Official Plan Amendment containing the revised policies is appended to this report as Attachment 1b.

The consultation process included public open houses, stakeholder roundtable sessions, an online survey, written submissions and consultations with relevant City Divisions. Revisions made to the draft policies aim to balance the City's need to address the loss of this deeply affordable housing stock with the impacts of replacement on development.

Key revisions to the policies include: a lowered minimum threshold of dwelling rooms; adjustments to the affordability period; the introduction of rent thresholds; and the inclusion of references to Section 5.1.1 of the Official Plan, Height or Density Incentives (Section 37 policies) to achieve full replacement of dwelling rooms. Definitions for Dwelling Room Affordable Rent and Mid-Range Rent have also been introduced.

The proposed Official Plan amendment would provide a citywide policy framework for dwelling rooms and apply to both licensed and unlicensed dwelling rooms.  The proposed Official Plan Amendment reinforces the City’s policy objectives for providing a full range of housing across the City including affordable housing, provides for the replacement of dwelling rooms consistent with existing Official Plan policies that require the replacement of rental housing, and is a key policy initiative to advance the yardstick and address affordable housing challenges within the City.