Housing in the Annex
My Neighbourhood — The Annex
I live on the University of Toronto’s campus, which could be thought of as its own community. However, I also spend a lot of time in The Annex neighbourhood, which is a bit north of campus. According to the City of Toronto, The Annex is bounded by Yonge St, Bloor St W, Christie St, and Dupont St as you can see in the map below.
The population of the Annex is about 30,000 people and grew 4.6% from 2011–2016. It is a highly educated neighbourhood with 7 out of 10 people having a Bachelor’s degree or higher. There is a great deal of income disparity in neighbourhood; while the median family income of over $126,000, one-fifth of people live in poverty.
One of my favourite parts of the Annex is the vibrancy of Bloor St W. It has a diverse range of small businesses where people can shop, eat, or be entertained. My favourite spot would be Hot Docs, which is an independent theatre showing documentaries. I also love the coffeeshop Mallo Coffee, just off of Bloor St and across from Mirvish Village that serves great drinks and has the friendliest staff.
There is also a lot of public art to see in the Annex, whether on the side of buildings or tucked away in alleys. The art really captures the character and history of the neighbourhood, as well as adding a bit of colour. You can see some of my favourite pieces here.
Urban Policy Challenge: Housing Affordability Crisis
Similar to many neighbourhoods in Toronto, the Annex is suffering from a housing affordability crisis. Approximately 40% of people living in the Annex live in unaffordable housing, meaning households spend more than 30% of their household income on shelter. This is slightly higher than the city-wide average of 36.6%.
One factor that may be contributing to the unaffordability of the neighbourhood is the fact that most of the neighbourhood is zoned for detached or semi-detached residential units. Almost half of households in the neighbourhood live in these ground-related houses. Some of the houses can be seen below.
Any large condos or apartments must be along the major streets like Bloor St. or Avenue Rd., like the ones below.
The zoning of the neighbourhood means developers cannot build high-density housing, like condos or apartment buildings, in most of the neighbourhood. The Annex is in a highly desirable area, close to the University of Toronto, good subway service, and other amenities. While the density of the neighbourhood is higher than Toronto’s average, the lack of middle to high density housing means housing prices and rental rates will exponentially grow because of the demand to live in the area. Before the pandemic, there was also a lack of available apartments. In 2019, the vacancy rate was only 2.4%. While today it is over 5% likely because people have left the city or students did not return to Toronto, this shortage will likely be a major issue once again when the pandemic is over.
Response — Mirvish Village Redevelopment
The Mirvish Village Redevelopment project is major development in the neighbourhood that will help address the housing crisis in the neighbourhood. By adding more rental housing supply to the neighbourhood, it should alleviate pressure on the rental demand and hopefully also slow the increasing costs of rent in the neighbourhood. Here is what the development will look like when complete.
For context, Mirvish Village was the site of Honest Ed’s and many local shops. While I never visited Mirvish Village before it was demolished, it was clear it was treasured by a lot of Torontonians and an important part of the neighbourhood. So the redevelopment of this land is a sensitive issue and should be done with care to maintain the character of the neighbourhood. Below are photos of Mirvish Village before the new development.
Now on the site of Mirvish Village, Westbank is developing a mixed-use community. There will be several towers, consisting of over 900 rental units as well as offices, retail space, and public spaces. An interesting feature will be the fully pedestrian street running through the Village. City Council unanimously approved this project proposal in 2017. Councillors Mike Layton and Joe Cressy who represent the residents surrounding the development published a joint letter in 2017 expressing their support for the development and informing residents of relevant updates on the project.
The development will also have several affordable housing units. In January 2020, the federal government committed $200 million that will go towards the development of 366 units that will be provided at rents no more than one-third of the median income in Toronto. 100 of the units will be 80% of the average market rate in Toronto, which is lower than the average for the area. Deputy Prime Minister Freeland is seen making the announcement on site below.
Local residents have been participating in the development process. In 2014, they formed The Mirvish Village Task Group that shares the views of residents and keep them informed about site. The group has been collaborating with Westbank as well as elected officials to discuss their concerns. Many residents have also submitted letters to Council expressing their supports or concerns with the proposal. Like with many major construction projects, there is concern about increases in density, the sustainability of the project, and the destruction of historic buildings.
I appreciate that the developers have taken the time to understand the Annex community and have involved local community members beyond what is legally expected of them. For instance, the hoarding surrounding the construction site is decorated in art commissioned by local artists. The art captures the history and values of Mirvish Village alongside renderings of the development. As well, on their website, they express a commitment to preserving the character and history of the neighbourhood.
The development is supposed to be completed by 2022. Below are photos of the development progress today.
I have concerns that the new development might result in gentrification in the neighbourhood as new developments often can. This may result in rising rents for business owners and residents in the area, pushing them out of the neighbourhood. This is something people should monitor for after the development is complete.
Overall, I believe the Mirvish Development will help address the housing affordability crisis in the Annex neighbourhood. It is clear the developers, City Council, and federal government are working together to ensure the development preserves the history of this iconic spot while building a complete community for everyone.
