Ford government kicks in $5 million for Toronto housing project for vulnerable women

Thestar.com
Oct. 28, 2019
David Rider

The City of Toronto’s housing advocate is welcoming $5.2 million from the Doug Ford government to help prevent vulnerable women from becoming homeless -- and she hopes there’s more to come.

Councillor Ana Bailao said the provincial money to help expand Margaret’s Housing and Community Support Services in Cabbagetown -- eventually with 35 apartments as a temporary home toward permanent housing -- is badly needed to help combat Toronto’s housing crisis.

“We need a partner in the province to build the supportive housing that we need,” Bailao said at Wednesday’s funding announcement. “I’m hoping this is going to be the first of many, many,” such announcements, she said, noting Toronto has a “lofty” goal of 18,000 supportive housing units.

Steve Clark, Ontario’s minister of municipal affairs and housing, told reporters that he is ready to work with Toronto and the newly elected Justin Trudeau federal government to tackle Toronto’s housing problems including supply, affordability and chronic homelessness.

Conservative Premier Ford and Trudeau are often political foes. But Clark said he’ll be among the first people knocking on the door of the new Liberal minister responsible for housing when he or she is appointed.

“I want to say ‘Our government and our municipal partners are front and centre to work with them on building more housing,’” Clark said. “Our government is in, whether it’s a private sector (development), whether it’s anyone in the housing space that wants to work with us to build more housing opportunities and communities, right across the province -- we’re in.”

Margaret’s, as it’s known, helps women with chronic mental health challenges by giving them access to their own living space, life skills coaching, and other community services and resources.

A Winchester St. site that used to be owned by Toronto Community Housing was sold to the non-profit at a “nominal” cost. Margaret’s is looking to the city, the federal government and private donors to fund the total estimated $12.2 million total cost of converting semi-detached former rooming houses into a small apartment building.

Bailao said building supportive housing is more cost-effective, humane and effective in ending homelessness than relying just on emergency shelters, and there now seems to be “a willingness to hear our views and to work together to effect change,” from the Ford government.

The provincial investment is listed on a 2017 supportive housing plan.

A city spokesperson said the program from which the provincial money is being drawn predates the Ford government, and the cash was expected to flow, but the “condition letter of commitment” making the investment official arrived in July 2018, after Ford took power.