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News Release - City of Toronto breaks ground on deeply affordable and supportive homes at 35 Bellevue Ave., marking second City-led development to get

City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:
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News Release 

December 19, 2024 

City of Toronto breaks ground on deeply affordable and supportive homes at 35 Bellevue Ave., marking second City-led development to get shovels in ground in 2024

Today, Mayor Olivia Chow was joined by Councillor Dianne Saxe (University-Rosedale) to announce the start of construction on the City of Toronto’s affordable and supportive housing project at 35 Bellevue Ave. This marks the second project delivered through the Public Developer Delivery model to break ground this week.

Operated by the Kensington Market Community Land Trust (KMCLT) and St. Clare’s Multifaith Housing Society (St. Clare’s), the building at 35 Bellevue Ave. will include approximately 78 new homes consisting of private studio and one-bedroom apartments with a kitchenette and bathroom and amenity spaces for tenants. Dedicated to maintaining the social and economic diversity of the Kensington Market neighbourhood, KMCLT owns and operates affordable housing locally. St. Clare's has managed supportive and affordable housing in Toronto for more than 20 years including in the Kensington Market community.

These new homes will be dedicated to individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness and will be offered as rent-geared-to-income homes with no tenant paying more than 30 per cent of their income or the shelter allowance of their social assistance on rent. Tenants will also have access to a range of wrap-around support services intended to improve their housing stability, health and well-being.

The project is being constructed using mass timber building technology with sustainability and energy efficiency performance that meets or exceeds the City’s TransformTO Net Zero Strategy goals and Toronto Green Standard. Construction is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2025.

More information about 35 Bellevue Ave. is available on the City’s website: https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/housing-shelter/affordable-housing-developments/map-of-affordable-housing-locations/35-bellevue-ave/.

Public Developer Delivery model

Toronto City Council approved the Public Developer Delivery model in July to accelerate the creation of non-market, affordable rental homes for low- and moderate-income residents on City-owned lands. Taking a more direct approach to how City lands are used, the City is responsible for setting housing targets, expediting development reviews and approvals, as well as participating in the construction process. 

The City is aiming to achieve an accelerated construction start at five ‘housing ready’ sites, with 11 Brock Ave. and 35 Bellevue Ave. being the first two projects to get shovels in the ground in 2024. Other sites within the Public Developer Delivery model include 405 Sherbourne St., 1113-1117 Dundas St. W. (City’s first mass-timber site), and 150 Queens Wharf Rd.

Funding and development

35 Bellevue Ave. was previously used a Green P parking lot operated by the Toronto Parking Authority. The site has been declared City-owned surplus land and suitable for building affordable housing. The City is providing capital funding and financial incentives for this project amounting to $3.6 million while awaiting confirmation of capital funding from other orders of government. This project will also require provincial funding amounting to $2.34 million annually to support operational costs, beginning in 2025. 

The new homes at 35 Bellevue Ave. will contribute to the City’s HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan (HousingTO Plan) target to deliver 65,000 new rent-controlled homes including 41,000 affordable rental, 6,500 rent-geared-to-income (RGI) and 17,500 rent-controlled homes. The City is seeking approximately $7.6 to $8.1 billion in funding and $6.4 to $7 billion in low-cost financing from the federal government and approximately $9.1 to $9.6 billion in funding and $6.4 to $7 billion in financing from the provincial government to achieve its HousingTO targets over the next six years. 

More information on the HousingTO Plan can be found on the City’s website: https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/community-partners/housing-partners/housingto-2020-2030-action-plan/?accordion=progress-reports.  

Quotes:  

“Toronto is facing a housing affordability crisis. We need more affordable and supportive housing, which is why the City is taking action through the Public Developer model. The project at 35 Bellevue Ave. will create 78 new homes for people struggling with homelessness, representing one solution to move people from encampments into a home. Deeply affordable homes with the right supports, like 35 Bellevue Ave change lives. I congratulate KMCLT and St. Clare's for their contributions to this project. I am eager to continue to work with partners including the provincial and federal governments to build more of this much needed housing.”
– Mayor Olivia Chow 

“Just a few months earlier we stood here at 35 Bellevue Ave. promising to get shovels in ground this year, and here we are delivering on this promise. This project is the culmination of years of effort and advocacy from the community and our partners, KMCLT and St. Clare’s. It’s an honour to join them today to break ground on these much-needed affordable and supportive homes.” 
– Councillor Dianne Saxe (University-Rosedale)

“The KMCLT is happy to see this work go forward in partnership with the City and St. Clare’s. After years of advocating for affordable housing here, we are confident now that the speed of building will reflect the urgency of Toronto’s housing crisis. We look forward to welcoming 78 households into our neighbourhood in 2025, and hope that this building will inspire other neighbourhoods to advocate for housing solutions of their own.”
– Dominique Russell, Co-Director, KMCLT

“Kensington Market is a thoughtful community that has a history of welcoming diversity. It is the home of St. Clare’s first building, and so holds a special place in our heart. We look forward to supporting KMCLT by operating this beautiful new building that will enhance the neighbourhood by providing 78 more households with safe and respectful rental housing. It is our hope that this and similar partnerships will work together toward ending homelessness in a city that has a place for everyone.”
– Andrea Adams, Executive Director, St. Clare’s

Toronto is home to more than three million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture, innovation and climate action and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit www.toronto.ca or follow us on X at x.com/cityoftoronto, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cityofto.   

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Media contact: Media Relations, media@toronto.ca

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