Toronto turns to modular construction to add housing stock
The City of Toronto is making good on a promise to build tens of thousands of new affordable rental homes by 2030 using modular construction.
On January 20, Mayor John Tory was joined by councillors Brad Bradford and Michael Thompson to take delivery of a number of modules that will eventually become new permanent supportive homes for 57 people experiencing homelessness.
When completed, the modular supportive housing building at 39 Dundalk Dr. will be operated by Homes First Society, a non-profit housing organization that provides affordable, stable housing and support services to break the cycle of homelessness.
“I am laser focused on ensuring our city is building more affordable and supportive housing so that every Toronto resident has a safe and dignified place to call home,” said Tory. “We look forward to growing partnerships with both the federal and provincial governments so that we can fulfil the targets set out in the 2023 Housing Action Plan and support all current and future residents in our growing city.”
Currently, there are almost 150 city-led or supported affordable housing projects in Toronto’s development pipeline. Some of these include large, multi-phase developments. Once completed, these projects will deliver over 20,000 affordable rental and supportive homes.
The Dundalk Drive modular homes will better meet the needs of residents who are residing at a hotel shelter adjacent to the Dundalk site. Residents will pay rent based on their incomes and have access to a private studio apartment (with a kitchen and a bathroom) and ample amenity spaces. This includes a commercial kitchen, laundry room, large programming spaces and office/support areas. Future residents will include women, Indigenous residents, seniors and persons with disabilities.
“We are committed to taking bold, tangible action to address the affordability and housing crises facing our city,” said Bradford. “Projects like this demonstrate one of the ways we are bringing in more housing, faster.”
Modular construction provides a unique opportunity to respond rapidly to Toronto’s urgent need to create more permanent affordable homes for people experiencing homelessness while reducing pressure on the city’s emergency shelter system.
The approach also supports the city’s climate change action since the homes are fabricated in a factory and transported to the site, where they are assembled. The benefits of modular construction, compared to traditional construction, include speed, cost efficiency and lower carbon emissions.
The land at 39 Dundalk Dr. is owned by the Toronto Community Housing Corporation and is subject to a lease between the City and TCHC.