Toronto rejects six-plexes
$30 million in federal funding is at risk
Should Carney fight Toronto over sixplexes? John Michael McGrath, TVO.
At its meeting on June 25, city council debated the motion to approve sixplexes in all parts of the city, which had been approved by the planning and housing committee earlier in the month. That in turn had built on more than a year of work by council and staff to meet commitments made under the Housing Accelerator Fund, a $4 billion federal program
bribingencouraging cities to streamline approvals for new homes to be built. Toronto is in line to receive nearly $120 million this year for the commitments it had made — among them, an explicit commitment to allow “permissions for residential units for up to six dwelling units.”
City staff quoted a March 2025 letter by Nate Erskine-Smith, who was then housing minister:
As we work to ensure compliance with over 200 HAF agreements across Canada, we are establishing consequences for non-compliance. In this case, if Toronto does not fully implement the above initiatives and milestones by the newly extended timeline, the federal government will cut funding equivalent to 25% of the annual payment.
We’ll see what happens next.
More
Live Twitter thread from the June 25 council meeting, by Matt Elliott
Video from the council meeting, on YouTube
City staff recommend allowing sixplexes across all Toronto neighbourhoods. May Warren, Toronto Star, June 6.
Toronto should allow sixplexes to bring 'gentle density' to city, council committee says. Muriel Draaisma and Kate McGillivray, CBC News, June 14.
What’s so scary about six-plexes? John Lorinc, spacing.ca, June 24.
Toronto Shies Away From City-Wide Sixplexes, Dilutes Allowances. Teagan Sliz, Storeys, June 26.
Memo to Gregor Robertson: Toronto Can’t Be Allowed To Get Away With This. Evan Scrimshaw, June 26.
Allowing sixplexes is a small, easy nudge toward solving Toronto’s housing crisis. But it’s not one city councillors like. Edward Keenan, Toronto Star, July 4.
Toronto Mayor confident city’s compromise on sixplexes won’t risk federal housing funding. Sophia Coppolino, Globe and Mail, July 5.
Toronto risks losing $30M in federal housing funds after council rejects citywide sixplex zoning. Barbara Patrocinio and Marco Vigliotti, iPolitics, July 9.