On Thursday, May 21st, Social Planning Toronto hosted a forum at College Street United Church to discuss possibilities and prospects of Inclusionary Zoning programs and their effectiveness in
addressing an affordable housing crisis in Toronto.  70 people were in attendance and the event drew the attention of some media (including Metroland Media's - Inside Toronto).  SPT Board Member Brian Eng, who was behind the vision to organize the Inclusionary Zoning forum, moderated the discussion.

Social Planning Toronto defines Inclusionary Zoning as: municipal programs that use development regulations and approval processes to require developers to produce a certain percentage of affordable housing within all their new market projects. Currently municipalities in Ontario do not have legislative power to implement mandatory Inclusionary Zoning and require legislative action from the province to give them this authority.

The speakers at the forum were: Remo Agostino, Vice President, Development for The Daniels Corporation, Jennifer Keesmaat, the Chief Planner for the City of Toronto, Michael Shapcott, long-time housing and homelessness advocate, and Richard Drdla, an affordable housing consultant and policy analyst.

To receive updates from SPT on this issue email Rebecca Phinnemore at:  [email protected] .

To learn more about this issue: http://inclusionaryhousing.ca/

Read Inside Toronto’s (Metroland Media) article about SPT’s forum here: http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/5644583-social-planning-toronto-looks-at-inclusionary-zoning/

Watch the videos of all presentations!  Here they are below:

Opening Presentation by Brian Eng – Board Member, Social Planning Toronto

Richard Drdla, Affordable Housing Consultant and Policy Analyst

Michael Shapcott, long-time housing and homelessness advocate

Remo Agostino, Vice President, Development for The Daniels Corporation

Jennifer Keesmaat, Chief Planner, City of Toronto