The Local Reality

Let’s look at the data. New Toronto has a median household income of $68,500 or 24% less than the ward average of $90,000. The percentage of low income residents is 15.8% or 44% higher than the ward average of 11%. The subsidized housing percentage is 27% or a whopping 200% higher than the ward average of 9%.

Of all the neighbourhoods chosen to site a shelter, New Toronto is the only one whose metrics on median household income, percentage low income population and percentage of subsidized housing is the worst in the ward and it isn’t close. 

In fact, one of the highlights of the latest Street Needs Assessment is that Rent-Geared-to-Income (subsidized) housing was the most frequently cited support that respondents said could have prevented and ended their homelessness. Meaning New Toronto is already doing more of what actually works by orders of magnitude compared to any other neighbourhood in Etobicoke.

Despite all of this, the City thinks we’re not doing enough. In addition to the emergency shelter proposed at 66 Third Street, the City also wants to remove the Green P lots at 140 Fifth Street and 120 Sixth Street to build subsidized housing. That’s 62% of our Green P parking spots gone. Instead of working toward balanced neighbourhoods across the city, Councillor Morley continues to support policies that overload communities like ours, while wealthier areas in her own ward remain unaffected.

Councillor Morley calls this “much-needed housing,” but ignores the economic cost of building a high percentage of it in one neighbourhood. Every neighbourhood deserves real investment and opportunity, but right now, this responsibility isn’t being shared equally. The saturation of New Toronto strains our local economy, hurts businesses, and undermines long-term community health. We are not saying not here, we are saying not only here.

Subsidized housing serves low-income individuals with limited spending power. When a neighbourhood lacks income diversity, local businesses struggle, services decline, and job opportunities shrink.Councillor Morley’s decision to eliminate three of our Green P lots only worsens the issue. Shoppers who want to visit New Toronto businesses will simply go where they can park, like Long Branch or Port Credit, taking their dollars with them.

Businesses assess local spending power before deciding where to invest. When one neighbourhood is over-saturated with subsidized housing and lacks income diversity, it becomes far less attractive to new shops, restaurants, and mixed-use developments. New Toronto risks becoming an economic desert, where revitalization feels out of reach. Ask Councillor Morley why she stands up for wealthy neighbourhoods and not her own.