You can't walk a block in downtown Toronto without coming across a new condo development. And the price of houses in Toronto continues to rise. It seems that every day there's a news story about another outrageous bidding war for a property. The housing bubble that stubbornly refuses to burst is obviously making some people very happy.
 
But when it comes to affordable housing, it's a very different story. According to the Vital Signs report released last year by the Toronto Community Foundation, the Toronto region is one of the most unaffordable markets in the world, ranking as the 75th least affordable among 325 markets surveyed across the globe.
 
Following our June 21 speakers series event on affordable housing, Yonge Street partnered with the Toronto Community Foundation to host an intensive follow-up for citizens and leaders who wanted to go deeper. Peter MacLeod, who moderated the first panel, guided the discussion last week. Attendees included include everybody from those working in the field of affordable housing to city and provincial employees to university students to interested members of the general public.
 
A good starting point: What qualifies as affordable housing and what is the scope of the problem? According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, affordable housing costs 30 per cent or less of annual household income. By that standard, more than 6o per cent of Toronto residents live in unaffordable housing.
 
When it comes to social housing, there were 66,640 eligible households on the waiting list in May, 2011, up 10.4 per cent since May 2010, an increase of 34.3 per cent since 2008. That could translate to an actual waiting time of 15 years for families who have applied for social housing. With debate continuing to rage over whether Toronto Community Housing should sell off some of its stock to pay for a repair backlog, housing availability remains severely constricted. Given that according to the most recent census, 50 per cent of Toronto households rent their homes, and given that vacancy rates are declining steadily, that pressure for housing is likely to continue. According to the Vital Signs report, 43 per cent of Toronto's 600,000 low-income residents already live in high-rise buildings.
 
Adding to that pressure is the continuing economic crisis and the slow recovery in new jobs. Then consider the changing demographics of Toronto's populace, which sees a growth in immigrants, most of whom live, at least initially, in rental housing. Especially outside the downtown core, problems with housing are contributing to problems with community-building. A survey cited in Vital Signs suggests that almost half of those living in Toronto's inner suburbs wanted to move away from their neighbourhood.
 
About 15 participants attended the forum to discuss and debate these facts, and to put forward ideas about how to remedy the problems of affordable housing. There were a number of people in attendance who already work in the field, along with advocates who agreed about the need for government intervention and funding, not putting much stock in market forces to solve problems. For many participants, the irony that the discussion was held in the ING Café, owned by a bank, was not lost.
 
There was enthusiastic discussion of the issues, and a number of wide-ranging suggestions with much consensus—and very little disagreement. It remains to be seen how the suggestions put forward would fare in the political trenches of City Hall or in the board rooms of developers.
 
Though it's challenging to encapsulate such a lively discussion, here are some ideas that came out of July 19 gathering. MacLeod divided the discussion into three major parts: Trends for affordable housing in Toronto; What affordable housing should look like in the future; and What is needed for us to get there. Below is a list of the points that participants decided were the most important in each category.
 
TRENDS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN TORONTO 

• There was a concern about the polarization of income, and the disappearance of the middle class, and what it would mean for Toronto's neighbourhoods.
• There was a suspicion, based on the spread of high-end condominiums, that real estate market has turned into profit-driven speculation, especially for international investors.
• Changing demographics. Participants feel that an aging population, increasing immigration and more single-person households will mean more rental housing, affordable housing and assisted living will be required.
• Participants felt that less and less family housing is being built in Toronto; in particular, fewer and fewer three-bedroom units are being built as condominiums, while houses are not affordable for many families.
• It was pointed out that for the families who do live in Toronto, the number of school closures and cuts to daycare make it harder to find affordable housing close to schools or daycare.
• There was agreement that the economic crisis has meant a loss of jobs that pay a living wage, especially in industry and manufacturing, increasing the need for affordable housing.
• As a follow-up, it was pointed out that the rising cost of energy means increased expenses for heating homes and for operating cars, making housing costs more expensive and making it even more important that affordable housing be located closer to work.
• The interconnection between transit and affordable housing was highlighted. For those who are forced to find affordable housing far away from work, there can be problems finding affordable and accessible transit.
• Participants say there has been a weakening of tenant security and upkeep of buildings. Some felt this situation had come about, in part, because of the lack of a vigorous inspection system by the city.
• Participants decried the lack of a national housing strategy, or a strategy integrated among different levels of government.
• One participant pointed out that interest rates are currently being maintained at a somewhat artificially low level. If interest rates increase, housing could become even more unaffordable.

WHAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING SHOULD LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE 

• Attendees suggested that renting may become a long-term reality for many Torontonians, rather than as the temporary step toward home ownership that many see it as now.
• Participants felt strongly that affordable housing should include easy access to city's green spaces, recreational facilities and libraries.
• Following up on the earlier point about the lack of vigorous inspection of apartment buildings, it was suggested that there should be a tighter regulatory regime that will guarantee building upkeep and maintain building codes.
• One participant suggested that there should be some low-cost rental units dedicated to new immigrants.
• There was agreement that there should be strict city planning rules emphasizing the building of affordable housing in mixed-income, mixed-use communities, including a mix of commercial and residential.
• Following up on the earlier point, it was suggested that residents should have only a short walk to transit and a short commute to work.
• To make sure that residents in affordable housing are not dependent on cars, there should be an emphasis on making the city bike-friendly.
• Participants felt that people should have the right to expect affordable housing in the city, and not have to move to outlying communities.
• There was a consensus that vertical housing may become a more wide-spread reality, with people living in high-rises rather than houses. Housing spaces may be smaller, but should be better maintained. 

HOW DO WE GET THERE? WHAT POLICIES ARE NEEDED? 

• One city employee suggested the use of inclusionary zoning regulations, requiring the setting aside of units in new buildings as affordable housing. As a trade-off for such measures, developers might be allowed to build a few stories taller than existing zoning permits.
• Allowing such higher densities, one attendee suggested, might also encourage more commercial use in development, making building affordable housing more profitable for developers.
• But there was also a call for city planning in general to focus more on community need than corporate profit.
• There was agreement that Canada needs a national housing strategy, which is integrated at all levels of government, and includes significantly more government funding. One participant suggested that this strategy might mandate that a minimum number of affordable housing units should be built each year. In terms of raising revenues for such a strategy, one participant suggested that cities like Toronto could dedicate revenue tools like the land transfer tax to affordable housing.
• A representative of a tenant's rights organization suggested that housing should be recognized as a legal, constitutional right in Canada.
• One participant suggested that shelter allowances should be aligned with the cost of living.
• There was recognition that there probably is a growing need for more public-private partnerships when it comes to affordable housing.
• One participant suggested that Toronto needed to increase its focus on initiatives like community land trusts and co-op housing.

At the end of the evening, most participants—who ignored the food and drink for fear of missing the discussion—said they found the event valuable and educational. What happens next remains in their hands.

Krishna Rau is a freelance writer and editor based in Toronto, with a particular interest in social and political issues. His work has appeared in numerous publications including The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Report on Business,Now, TorontoStandard.com, This Magazine, Xtra and Canadian Forum. He also has a chapter in the recent anthology, White Riot: Punk Rock and the Politics of Race.