Vital Initiatives
Toronto's Vital Signs 2011

Toronto's Vital Signs® Issue Area
Housing


Why it matters
“Access to safe and affordable housing is a basic human right that should be available to all. With the threats of higher cost of living and economic hardship, affordable housing will continue to become more and more a dream than reality for many more families who will be forced to live in substandard conditions.
- Neil Hetherington, CEO
Habitat for Humanity Toronto
   Housing

Where we're at
  • The Toronto Region offers one of the most severely unaffordable housing markets in the world, ranking 75th least affordable among 325 markets surveyed.
  • In May 2011, the number of eligible households on the waiting list for social housing stood at 66,460, up 10.4% from May 2010, and a 34.3% increase since 2008.
  • The supply of seniors’ housing grew in the GTA between 2010 and 2011. Seniors’ housing increased from 37.6 spaces per 1,000 seniors (aged 75 and over) in 2010, to 40 spaces in 2011.
Learn more about this issue area in the full Toronto's Vital Signs® Report »

Featured solutions from our Community Knowledge Centre
Our Community Knowledge Centre features solutions to the issues identified in Toronto's Vital Signs. Organizations who have received a grant from our Vital Toronto Fund are identified.

Habitat for Humanity Toronto   Habitat for Humanity Toronto
The mission of Habitat For Humanity Toronto is to mobilize volunteers and community partners in building affordable housing for low-income families and promoting homeownership as a means to breaking the cycle of poverty.
Learn more about Habitat for Humanity Toronto »
     
Toronto ACORN   Toronto ACORN
Toronto ACORN works by building new community groups in different low income neighbourhoods and helping those groups establish community change campaigns on local issues, with a focus on improving housing conditions in these communities.
Vital Toronto Fund award recipient 2011
Learn more about Toronto ACORN »
     
John Howard Society of Toronto   John Howard Society of Toronto
John Howard Society of Toronto supports the rehabilitation and re-integration of those who have been in conflict with the law. Their Post-Incarceration Housing Program assists homeless and under-housed clients to find and maintain housing, offering ongoing support to landlords and tenants through the provision of eviction prevention work and mediation.
Vital Toronto Fund award recipient 2010
Learn more about John Howard Society of Toronto »