Housing

The province makes a move towards affordable housing

December 12th, 2016 by Celia Chandler

Last week Bill 7, Promoting Affordable  Housing Act, 2016, passed third reading and received Royal Assent.  Bill 7 is part of the government’s Long‑Term Affordable Housing Strategy.

The province’s news release describes Bill 7 as a way to increase the supply of affordable housing and modernize social housing in the following four ways:

  • By giving municipalities the option to implement inclusionary zoning, which requires affordable housing units to be included in residential developments;
  • By making secondary suites such as above-garage apartments or basement units in new homes less costly to build, by exempting them from development charges. Secondary suites are a potential source of affordable rental housing and allow homeowners to earn additional income;
  • By giving local service managers more choice in how they deliver and administer social housing programs and services to reduce wait lists and make it easier for people in Ontario to access a range of housing options;
  • By encouraging more inclusive communities and strengthening tenant rights by preventing unnecessary evictions from social housing and creating more mixed-income housing; and
  • By gathering data about homelessness in Ontario by requiring service managers to conduct local enumeration of those who are homeless in their communities, so that Ontario can continue to work towards its goal of ending chronic homelessness by 2025.

The bill was passed, but not everyone is thrilled with it and the sticking point seems to be the inclusionary zoning option.  (Regular readers of our blog will know that inclusionary zoning is an approach that we’re interested in and something we’ve blogged about before.)   At Tuesday’s debate, the NDP’s Percy Hatfield expressed the concerns of Toronto Councillor and strong housing advocate, Ana Bailao, and of the co‑op sector’s Harvey Cooper.  Both are worried that as it’s presented, inclusionary zoning will force municipalities to make hard choices between housing and other community improvements like daycare and parks, so called “section 37 benefits” .    As inclusionary zoning will be optional for municipalities, time will tell what the uptake is and where it is adopted, how effective it is as a tool to expand the affordable housing stock.

More immediately though for our clients, Bill 7 amends the Residential Tenancies Act to clarify that neither a landlord nor a non‑profit housing co‑op can give an eviction notice “on the ground that the member has ceased to be eligible for, or has failed to take any step necessary to maintain eligibility for, rent-geared-to-income assistance as defined in section 38 of the Housing Services Act, 2011.”  These amendments, in force immediately, are found in the RTA at section 58(3) (for landlords) and section 94.2(3) (for housing co‑ops).

ONPHA Members: Read our InfoON report on Smoke-free apartment buildings & medical marijuana

November 18th, 2016 by Iler Campbell

In a report just published to the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association’s members only website, Lauren Blumas outlines the issues and related decisions that must be made while considering implementing a non-smoking policy.

If you’re a member you can log on here to read the report.

Co-ownerships – your entrance to the real estate market?

November 8th, 2016 by Lauren Blumas

I’m a millennial. I’ve had many discussions with my millennial (and other) peers about the soaring cost of real estate and the barriers to us young(ish) adults getting in to the housing market in Toronto and surrounding areas.

Many of my friends have reluctantly counted themselves out of the market entirely.

But perhaps there is a way to own a home despite current conditions through co‑ownership with friends, acquaintances or family members.

To some, co‑ownership might seem like a radical hippy ideal harkening back to the 60s and 70s. The truth is that it can be structured, through contract, to suit all kinds of arrangements and ideals.

For some, co‑owning a home is simply a cost‑splitting mechanism to gain entry in to the elite world of City real estate. Co‑owned homes may have segregated living space with all the privacy of apartment style living. Others might structure their co‑ownership with communal living ideals in mind – complete with shared household responsibilities.

In either case, co‑ownership might just be the only feasible way forward for many first‑time homebuyers trying to break-in to today’s market.

We’re ideally situated to help you along the path of co‑ownership. As a small law firm with progressive ideals, we’ve been engaged in non‑traditional housing development work of this nature for 40 odd years.

If co‑ownership is something you are considering, stay tuned for our upcoming free session on the “how to’s of co‑ownership”. Date and location to be announced shortly. Sign up to our email list to receive the announcement.

Landlords and tenants to fight out right to grow medical marijuana under new regulations

October 27th, 2016 by Lauren Blumas and Claudia Pedrero

This article was first published on rabble.ca

The new Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulation (ACMPR), which came into force on August 24, 2016, has changed how patients with prescriptions for medical marijuana can get their medicine. The ACMPR came to be, in part, as a response to a Federal Court ruling that the former Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) violated the Charter because it prohibited personal production of medical cannabis. For many medicinal cannabis users, the cost of accessing through the channels allowed under the MMPR were simply unaffordable.

Continue reading “Landlords and tenants to fight out right to grow medical marijuana under new regulations”

Construction project? Make sure you know the risks involved. Join us for a free workshop November 2.

October 24th, 2016 by Iler Campbell

construction

Join us at at our offices 9 am on Wednesday November 2 for this free workshop led by Safia Lakhani. Spaces are very limited! Email [email protected] to save your spot.

Getting it Done: How to Reduce Risk with your Construction Project
Whether you are completing building maintenance and upgrades or conducting larger-scale renovations, there are multiple risks associated with construction jobs. This session will explore ways for co-ops, condominium corporations, non-profit housing organizations, and others embarking on small or large-scale construction to mitigate risks, including: a. knowing the parties to the contract; b. properly reviewing your contract documents; and, for larger scale jobs, c. ensuring there is a bond in place from your general contractor.  We will also review  owners’ obligations under the Construction Lien Act, the provincial statute that outlines the rights and obligations of owners, landlords, contractors, and sub-contractors with respect to construction. There will be time set aside for questions.

This session is also a great opportunity for participants/attendees to get to know one another! We look forward to seeing you.

Dispatches from “Hoarding: New Approaches to Community Management,” October 20, 2016

October 21st, 2016 by Celia Chandler

I attended a day-long seminar on a topic of significance to our housing clients called “Hoarding: New Approaches to Community Management” on October 20, 2016. The session, hosted by VHA Home HealthCare (VHA), was well attended by mental health agency staff, housing providers, and assorted others – like me – serving housing providers who encounter the problems resulting from tenants’ and members’ excessive clutter. The fifth of such events in Toronto, there is heightened awareness of problematic hoarding since the fire at 200 Wellesley Street, just over six years.

Continue reading “Dispatches from “Hoarding: New Approaches to Community Management,” October 20, 2016”