The City we Desire. The City we Deserve.
The City we Fight for.
This detailed platform is a “living” document—it will continue to evolve and develop over time.
House the City
Build Minimum 100,000 Rent-Geared to Income units of municipal housing - especially around TTC Hubs.
Stop closures of TCHC- expedite and complete TCHC repairs backlog.
Expand and incentivize creation of co-op housing stock.
Complete Expansion of safe and supportive shelter system with at least 1000 permanent new shelter beds in 2018 to ensure access to safety and shelter for homeless people.
Implement a Municipal Rent Control bylaw- and prevent AirBnB evictions.
Create a municipal inclusionary zoning tool, implement 40% set aside for non-profit affordable housing, including deeply affordable housing, in all new developments, in perpetuity.
Implement a new definition of affordability that is income-based, not market-based (defined as RGI <30% of income).
Connect the City
Free transit that reaches every neighbourhood
Expand public, fully accessible, rapid, transit infrastructure using non-fossil fuel burning technologies. KEEP transit public in perpetuity.
Expand free city Parks & Rec programs Provide cultural, recreational and educational programming that is free, universal and diverse, and consistent across neighbourhoods.
Full Digital access in every corner of the city
Implement neighbourhood based strategies that connect people who are living alone with neighbours and other residents in ways that are mutually beneficial - valuing and integrating elders and differently abled people.
Green the City
Commit to fully funding Transform TO - Toronto’s already approved (but underfunded) climate strategy.
Ensure all new build and retrofits (prioritizing social housing) meet or exceed TransformTO carbon reduction goals and timelines- in terms of heating/cooling systems, insulation/cladding, solar energy generation and net-zero carbon standards.
Safe, protected, linked bike lanes network across the city
Initiate updated water management strategies with ambitious deadlines, that deal with our flooding, watershed management and sewer infrastructure problems.
Implement stormwater management plan that incentivizes reduction of hard surface and generates revenue.
Implement enforcement to community benefits agreements for any development project, that prioritizes local employment, local park lands, and local neighbourhood driven complete community development (social services, child care, groceries, greenspace, gardens etc).
Expedite the current TTC goal of buying only emissions-free buses starting in 2025, to start now, and having a completely emissions-free fleet by far sooner than 2040
Food justice: access to healthy foods, and access to growing our food in all neighbourhoods.
Transform the City
Initiate a funded, accountable decolonial plan for the city: Work to bring today's Toronto in line with the Dish With One Spoon Wampum, and educate residents about this and other Treaties to which we are still bound.
Gender Equity Budgeting
Reduce size and funding of police service and use money that is saved to make investments in low-income communities that will engage youth and address marginalization. Total ban on carding. Destroy carding records. No cops in schools and no TAVIS- style or other violent community harassment programs.
Expand social services/strategies that actually foster community cohesion, support and relationship building.
Create a solidarity city that goes beyond a sanctuary city based on supportive, equal access to healthcare, fair wages, schools etc.
Access to the city for undocumented residents through Municipal ID cards.
Increase community control over decision-making, policy development and accountability processes through elected neighbourhood committees.
Have effective and comprehensive emergency responses in place that prioritize the needs of residents impacted by gun violence, the overdose crisis, fires and climate change, particularly in poorly resourced neighbourhoods.
Fund the City
Re-allocate 20% of current police budget to programs and services that are proven to engage youth, reduce marginalization and socio-economic inequity
Implement a municipal Mansion tax
Index municipal property tax to inflation.
Implement stormwater fee
Increase Development Charges to maximum permitted under provincial Development Charges Act.
Reinstate vehicle registration fee with higher fee for luxury vehicles over $35,000.
Implement various progressive revenue streams such as: road tolls, development fees, financial transaction taxes, watershed management/, explore other revenue tools
Mandate responsible ethical investment in the city, that ensures adherence to locally generated community benefits agreements.
Build the City
Meet affordable childcare needs with unionized municipal daycares and flexible schedule options. Provide funds to child care programs instead of individuals and to set low fees or no fees for every family regardless of age of child, location or income.
Ensure affordable childcare access for all who need it.
Make schools into vibrant community centres open to everyone after school hours and enhance mental health and social supports provided to school communities to build strong support networks for children
Fix our schools- address 3.7 billion backlog on repairs: cold/hot classrooms, leaky roofs and ceilings,mold, vermin; broken,fixtures and doors; unacceptable conditions for children and workers.
Commercial rent control or incentivization program for small local businesses providing complete community essentials such as green grocers, hardware stores, laundromats, social services)
End privatization, contract work back in-house- such as waste collection, transit (metrolinx)
Ensure $15/min wage is implemented and increases by cost of living every year