Lack of affordability and low housing supply continue to hamper the city of Toronto, but there are creative solutions forthcoming that could at least help, if not solve the problem.
One innovation, laneway housing, has proved so successful since its introduction last fall that Toronto City Council is looking to expand the scope of the project to the entire city.
A laneway suite is a dwelling at the rear of a residence detached from the primary home and adjacent to a laneway that runs behind the lot.
Last month, council’s planning and housing committee adopted an agenda item that calls for a review and consultation, with a view to expanding the reach of the Changing Lanes policy.
Councillor Ana Bailão, the city’s housing advocate, sees the policy and subsequent increase in laneway units used as secondary housing suites as another tool in the city’s tool box to tackle issues around rental housing stock and affordability.
“We know it’s not going to bring thousands of units,” she said. “It will be a gentle increase in density.”
There are more than 325 kilometres of public laneways in the entire city of Toronto, of which 235 are covered under the current bylaw. The remaining 99 kilometres could be included in the near future.
Currently, the city is reviewing 53 preliminary applications, 18 building permit applications and 15 minor variance applications for laneway suites.
Bailão is satisfied with the progress thus far but thinks word hasn’t really gotten out yet.
Many in the industry are excited about the possibilities of this new market.
“I think it’s huge. Eventually I really see the low-rise housing stock in the city almost doubling,” said Tony Cunha, senior manager of Lanescape, a Toronto-based design-build agency specializing in laneway homes.
Lanescape, along with non-profit Evergreen, developed the laneway suites report upon which the Changing Lanes policy was based.
