I hope you had a safe and relaxing holiday season and are enjoying a great start to the new year! It was wonderful to see so many residents at our Pancakes with Santa event in December. MP Gary Anandasangaree and I enjoyed celebrating the holidays with you!
Vacant Home Tax
Payable beginning in 2023, the City of Toronto’s Vacant Home Tax (VHT) aims to increase the supply of housing in the city by discouraging owners from leaving their residential properties unoccupied. All residential property owners in Toronto are required to declare the status of their property annually, even if they live there.
You may have already received mailed communication from the city detailing how you can make your declaration. You will need your 21-digit assessment roll number and customer number from your tax bill or property tax account statement.
Declarations of occupancy status should be made through the city’s secure online declaration portal. If required, homeowners can receive a paper declaration form by contacting 311. All declarations must be made by February 2, 2023. You can declare or access more information at toronto.ca/vacanthometax.
Housing
In December, Council approved the 2023 Housing Action Plan for the 2022-2026 term. The new plan focuses on getting more homes built or made available in Toronto as quickly as possible, while also making housing more affordable.
In addition to the 2023 Housing Action Plan, Council approved a new regulatory framework for multi-tenant houses. It will make it mandatory for all operators of multi-tenant houses across Toronto to obtain an annual licence, as well as introduce consistent standards, regulatory oversight and enforcement to help protect the safety of tenants and respond to neighbourhood concerns. The new zoning and licensing bylaws come into effect on March 31, 2024.
Implementation will be phased in over three years and will begin with an expansion of the dedicated Municipal Licensing and Standards enforcement team and preparation for a new Multi-Tenant House Licensing Tribunal.
Year two, from March 2024 to March 2025, will focus on transitioning existing licensed operators to the new requirements, as well as identifying and enforcing against high-risk operators.
The third phase of implementation from March 2025 to March 2026, will focus on outreach to new operators.
During the Council debate, I brought forward amendments to address some of the concerns that I have heard from the community. The amendments, supported by my Council colleagues, aimed to shape the multi-tenant housing framework to suit both downtown communities as well as inner suburbs like Scarborough.
I also asked for staff to monitor impacts of the framework on housing affordability; to require corporate operators to have a registered business address in the province of Ontario; and that a third party review of the Multi-Tenant Housing regulatory framework be conducted upon the fourth anniversary of enactment.
I will continue to update the community on the implementation of the 2023 Housing Action Plan and the new regulatory framework for Multi-Tenant Houses through my e-news. To subscribe to my enews or get in touch, please email me at councillor_mckelvie@toronto.ca or call 416-338-3771.