Item - 2021.PH23.21

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council request the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, and the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, to work with CreateTO and the Alexandra Park Housing Co-operative to explore opportunities to renew existing Co-op facilities, enhance accessibility, and create new affordable seniors housing by leveraging the Alexandra Park Co-operative lands or other City-owned lands in the vicinity.

The Alexandra Park Co-operative is located at Carr Street between Denison Avenue and Eden Place. The Co-op is spread over two small city blocks with a total of 104 units ranging in size from 1 to 5 bedrooms. Built in 1973, this was the first co-op to be constructed in Ontario and is under a long-term land lease with the City of Toronto, expiring in 2024. The Co-op provides a significant amount of affordable housing for a diverse population, adjacent to downtown and many municipal services.

The Co-op has expressed concerns with the ability to age safely and well in place due to a number of accessibility issues such as entrance and interior buildings steps and staircases, lack of space for on-site supports, and poor ventilation and air circulations in the buildings. Given the age of the facility, the Co-op is also in need of significant re-investment.

The Co-op has a desire to repair their buildings, improve accessibility, and support aging in place for the existing residents. They have also been in conversations with the City, other stakeholders, and orders of government with an interest in creating additional affordable seniors housing.

I am requesting that City staff explore opportunities to support the Alexandra Park Co-operative to address their need for building repairs and enhanced accessibility, as well as looking at the possibility of creating additional new affordable housing units on site or leveraging City-owned land in the vicinity.