By RK Cobb
Last June, Toronto City Council voted on whether to permit six-unit buildings (sixplexes) city-wide. Their decision was a compromise, allowing sixplexes in 9 wards, while the remaining 16 wards, including our own Ward 25, have the option to opt-in later. This decision means the future of sixplexes in our community now depends on our new councillor, who will be elected on September 29.
The city’s stated goal in championing multiplexes is to address the housing crisis by creating more diverse and affordable options. By adding more units to existing neighborhoods, the city hopes to increase density in a “gradual and sensitive” way, providing more choices for families, students, and seniors. The city also believes multiplexes support climate goals by better utilizing urban land. The push for sixplexes was also driven by a need to meet commitments for the federal Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF).
However, many residents and community groups, including the CCRA, were concerned that the city was rushing this decision to secure HAF funding without a well-thought-out plan. The sixplex recommendation was made after a sixplex pilot study in Ward 23 yielded no relevant data, as no sixplex building permits were issued and none were built. Residents were also concerned that the increase of allowable units from 4 to 6, incentivizes developers to outbid families for homes in more affordable areas.
City staff’s Multiplex Monitoring Program Report raised additional concerns. The report noted that some multiplex applications included designs “with upwards of eight to nine bedrooms within one unit of a multiplex” and notably small shared living spaces, which suggested a multi-tenant layout rather than a layout for a large family. There are also unanswered questions about the impact on local infrastructure. Multiplexes require no servicing evaluations for water and sewer systems. This raises concerns about potential sewer overcapacity and basement flooding in neighbourhoods originally designed for single detached homes. New developments are not required to provide any parking. It’s unclear where the occupants of a sixplex with little or no parking spaces would park their cars in neighborhoods with limited on-street parking. This could lead to buildings “hardscaping” their lawns and increased water runoff. Allowing on-street parking could create issues with snow clearing.
The CCRA and other residents’ associations were particularly concerned about the city’s “one-size-fits-all” approach. What works seamlessly in some areas might not work as well in traditionally suburban areas like Scarborough, Etobicoke, and North York.
These concerns led to a letter-writing campaign and a petition sent to City Council. The petition, created by the Federation of North Toronto Residents’ Associations (FoNTRA), argued that the sixplex recommendation was “driven by federal funding, not neighbourhood-specific planning” and asked that the item be sent back to Planning staff for further study and consultation. Days before the vote, residents’ associations city-wide forwarded the petition to their members, encouraging them to join the campaign. The CCRA spread the word to its members by eblast and social media. The campaign was successful. Our voices were heard.
City Council’s compromise decision has created a need for further discussion and consultation in wards that have not yet opted in. Our community and new councillor must now work together to determine a path forward that is both “gradual and sensitive” to the context and character of our neighborhoods.