The City of Toronto has broken ground on construction of two affordable rental housing buildings in Scarborough.

Once complete, the development at 25 Sewells Road will include two buildings with a total of 318 affordable rental homes. The project is a partnership between the City of Toronto, Government of Canada and the not-for-profit housing provider and developer, the Brenyon Way Charitable Foundation.

The first nine-storey building will have 201 affordable rental homes consisting of 100 one-bedroom, 83 two-bedroom and 18 three-bedroom homes. The building is expected to be completed in September 2025.

An additional eight storey building will have 117 affordable rental homes comprising 68 one-bedroom, 32 two-bedroom and 17 three-bedroom homes.

All of these homes will be affordable, with rents less than 100 percent of the Average Market Rent as reported annually by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. The Brenyon Way Charitable Foundation will operate the site after construction is completed.

“More affordable housing means stronger communities across Toronto,” said Mayor Olivia Chow. “This affordable housing site is a success story of the collaboration between federal and municipal government and the not-for-profit sector. To address the housing crisis we need more partnerships like this one, creating homes and a sense of belonging for all.”

The entire development will offer 663 square metres of indoor amenity spaces and 722 square metres of outdoor amenities including a central green space, a community garden and a shared dining area, as well as improvements to the existing playground to the south of the existing apartment building on the Brenyon Way lands.

The development will be integrated with the group of existing buildings on adjacent lands at 182 to 250 Brenyon Way, also owned and operated by the Brenyon Way Charitable Foundation.

Development has been made possible through the funding and incentives provided by the City of Toronto, Government of Canada and Brenyon Way Charitable Foundation.

In December 2019, Brenyon Way Charitable Foundation purchased the land at 25 Sewells Road and provided $5.6 million in funding for this project. Through the City’s Open Door program, Toronto City Council approved $3.37 million in capital funding and $27 million in financial incentives, including property tax and development charge exemptions and permit fee waivers.

The Government of Canada provided over $15 million in funding and over $79 million in repayable loans through the Affordable Housing Fund.