Social Stats

The Demand for Affordable Housing in Toronto

000,000

002,500

005,000

007,500

010,000

012,500

015,000

017,500

020,000

022,500

025,000

027,500

030,000

032,500

035,000

037,500

040,000

042,500

045,000

047,500

050,000

052,500

055,000

057,500

060,000

062,500

065,000

067,500

070,000

072,500

075,000

077,500

080,000

082,500

085,000

087,500

090,000

092,500

095,000

097,500

100,000

102,500

105,000

107,500

110,000

112,500

115,000

117,500

120,000

122,500

125,000

127,500

130,000

132,500

132,810Is the total number of

people waiting for subsidized housing in

Toronto1

000,000

001,250

002,500

003,750

005,000

006,250

007,500

008,750

010,000

011,250

012,500

013,750

015,000

016,250

017,500

018,750

020,000

021,250

022,500

023,750

025,000

026,250

027,211Is the number of children

waiting for subsidized housing in Toronto2

1-5Is the average number of years’ wait for a subsidized

bachelor apartment3

5-10Is the average number of years that a family would

have to wait for a subsidized two-bedroom home

4

7-10Is the average number of years’ wait for a subsidized

one-bedroom home5

10-12Is the average number of years that a family would

have to wait for a subsidized three-bedroom home

6

Toronto ranked 190th internationally out of 265 cities studied in terms of

housing affordability7

5000 affordable rental units have been built since 2003

8

There are seven low-income families for-every-one

moderate-rent unit available in Toronto

9

In September 2009, an average of 118 people applied for subsidized

housing each day10

Why is there such a high demand for affordable

housing in Toronto?

In Canada, poverty decreased by 5.1 per cent

in the first half of the decade

11

In Toronto, poverty increased by 10 per cent

In Canada, poverty decreased by 5.1 per cent

in the first half of the decade

11

12

The number of low-income seniors in Toronto is

almost double the Ontario average

13

The poverty line for a family of four in Toronto is

$38,61014

One-in-three children in Toronto live below the

poverty line

The poverty line for a family of four in Toronto is

$38,61014

15

Median incomes have decreased by 11.7 per cent

over a 15-year period16

Average rents in Toronto have more than doubled over that same period

Median incomes have decreased by 11.7 per cent

over a 15-year period16

17

A family of four would need a ‘living wage’ of $64,783

to meet a minimum standard of living in Toronto that most of society would deem

acceptable

18

A family would need to make $33.20 per hour, full-time,

year-round to earn this ‘living wage’

19

One-in-every-six Ontario jobs pays less than $10 per

hour20

After the minimum wage reaches $10.25 in 2010, a person working full time

will earn about $20,000 per year

21

The average price of a bachelor apartment in

Toronto is $9,264 per year—about half of a minimum

wage salary22

41 per cent of single person households in Toronto live

on an annual income of less than $20,800

23

The unemployment rate in Toronto is 11.8 per cent

24

There are 35.7 per cent more unemployed—about 47,000 people—than there

were one year ago25

Of those who are employed, over 16 per cent work part-

time26

Between 1999 and 2006, applications for eviction

due to unpaid rent rose 26 per cent

27

$000

$001

$002

$003

$004

$005

$006

$007

$008

$009

$010

$011

$012

$013

$014

$015

$016

$017

$018

$019

$020

$021

$022

$023Is the cost per day to

provide a homeless person with affordable housing28

$024

$025

$026

$027

$028

$029

$030

$031

$032

$033

$034

$035

$036

$037

$038

$039

$040

$042

$044

$046

$048

$050

$052

$054

$056

$058

$060

$062

$064

$066

$068

$069Is the cost per day of a stay

in a shelter29

$070

$071

$072

$073

$074

$075

$080

$085

$090

$095

$100

$105

$110

$115

$120

$125

$130

$135

$140

$142Is the cost per day of a jail cell for a homeless person30

$143

$144

$145

$146

$147

$148

$149

$150

$160

$170

$180

$190

$200

$220

$240

$260

$280

$300

$320

$340

$360

$380

$400

$420

$440

$460

$480

$500

$520

$540

$560

$580

$600

$620

$640

$660

$665Is the cost per day of a

hospital bed for a homeless person

31

Almost half of all tenants in Toronto are spending more

than 30 per cent of their income on rent

32

Half of those—about 100,000—are spending more than 50 per cent.

33

That is why 132,810 people in Toronto—over five per

cent of the population—are in line for subsidized

housing.

References1. Housing Connections, “Monthly Statistical Report” (September 2009), 2.

2. Housing Connections, “3rd Quarter Statistical Report” (September 2009).

3. Housing Connections, “Applying for rent-geared-to-income housing” (December 2008).

4. Ibid.

5. Ibid.

6. Ibid.

7. Wendell Cox and Hugh Pavletich, “5th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey,” Demographia (2009), 32.

8. Housing Opportunities Toronto, “An Affordable Housing Action Plan: 2010-2020,” City of Toronto (2009), 31.

9. Toronto Community Foundation, “Toronto’s Vital Signs 2009: Full Report” (2009), 38.

10. Housing Connections, “Internal Statistics” (September 2009).

11. Toronto Community Foundation, “Toronto’s Vital Signs 2008: Full Report” (2008), 9.

12. Ibid.

13. Toronto Community Foundation, “Toronto’s Vital Signs 2009: Full Report” (2009), 5.

14. Toronto Community Foundation, “Toronto’s Vital Signs 2008: Full Report” (2008), 9. The poverty line is considered to be Statistics Canada’s Low Income Cut Off.

15. Toronto Community Foundation, “Toronto’s Vital Signs 2009: Full Report” (2009), 49.

16. Toronto Community Foundation, “Toronto’s Vital Signs 2008: Full Report” (2008), 21.

17. Ibid.

18. Hugh Mackenzie and Jim Stanford, “A Living Wage for Toronto,” Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (November 2008), 9.

19. Ibid.

20. Ibid., 7.

21. Ibid., 11.

22. Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, “Rental Market Statistics” (Spring 2009), 58.

23. Toronto Community Foundation, “Toronto’s Vital Signs 2008: Full Report” (2008), 9.

24. Toronto Economic Development, “Economic Indicators” (August 2009), 2.

25. Ibid.

References26. Ibid., 3.

27. Susan MacDonnell, “Losing Ground: The Persistent Growth of Family Poverty in Canada’s Largest City,” The United Way of Greater Toronto (November 2007), 53.

28. Toronto Community Foundation, “Toronto’s Vital Signs 2009: Full Report” (2009), 40.

29. Ibid.

30. Ibid.

31. Ibid.

32. Housing Opportunities Toronto, “An Affordable Housing Action Plan: 2010-2020,” City of Toronto (2009), 17.

33. Ibid.