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TORONTO — Construction is underway at 11 Brock Ave., the City of Toronto’s first affordable housing project delivered through the Public Developer Delivery model.

Approved in July, the model is meant to accelerate the creation of non-market, affordable rental homes for low- and moderate-income residents on city-owned lands.

Set to be complete by the end of 2025, the development at 11 Brock Ave. will create approximately 42 new rent-geared-to-income and supportive homes for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. 

The building will feature private apartments, each with a bathroom and kitchen, plus shared laundry, a communal kitchen and a common programming area, explains a release.

The city has partnered with Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre as the community housing provider for the project.

The property at 11 Brock Ave. was previously owned by the Province of Ontario and was acquired by the city in 2019 for $3.25 million. In 2023, the project received federal capital grant funding of $21.6 million through phase three of the Rapid Housing Initiative. The city will also contribute capital funding and has approved more than $3.4 million in pre-development funding and financial incentives to the project, including waived fees and property taxes, the release continues.  

The new homes at 11 Brock Ave. will contribute to the city’s HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan target to deliver 65,000 new rent-controlled homes, including 41,000 affordable rental, 6,500 rent-geared-to-income and 17,500 rent-controlled homes.

The city is seeking approximately $7.6 to $8.1 billion in funding and $6.4 to $7 billion in low-cost financing from the federal government, and approximately $9.1 to $9.6 billion in funding and $6.4 to $7 billion in financing from the provincial government to achieve its HousingTO targets over the next six years. 

On top of the 11 Brock Ave. development, there are four additional city-owned “housing ready” sites that will see an accelerated construction start, including at 35 Bellevue Ave., 405 Sherbourne St., 1113-1117 Dundas St. W., which is the city’s first mass-timber site and 150 Queens Wharf Rd.