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Opinion

Here's the blueprint for making Toronto's homebuilder program a success

The city's “public builder model” to deliver affordable housing on five city-owned sites is a great idea, provided council takes steps to ensure its success.

2 min to read
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The city's “public builder model” to deliver affordable housing on five city-owned sites is a great idea, provided council takes steps to ensure its success.

Canada needs to build millions of new homes to meet the needs of its growing population. Each level of government has a key role to play in meeting this challenge. For its part, the City of Toronto has an innovative new plan to show how it might be done. Now all it needs is the right approach.

Toronto City Council recently approved a “transformative” housing action plan sponsored by Mayor Olivia Chow. It’s intended to create up to 65,000 units of desperately needed affordable housing. One of the central elements of the plan is a “public builder model” to deliver affordable housing on five city-owned sites. It’s a great idea that could make a huge difference, provided council takes steps to ensure its success.

Steven Trumper is a lawyer and former CEO of CreateTO, the City of Toronto’s real estate development agency.

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