Mayor John Tory's Toronto

[Admiral Beez]

You do know that parents that receive subsidies live throughout the city, not just in Regent Park, right?

Unlike some of the sheep here, I refuse to jump to group think and assume an unorthodox or seemingly outrageous suggestion is such.

I think there is some truth that Toronto, especially within the pre-amalgamation Toronto borders, is becoming a community where only the well off or those on government assistance can raise kids. The folks who do not use or qualify for gov't housing or other funding support, and who do not have well paying jobs can likely not afford to raise kids here.

I grew up in the Beaches (yes, despite newcomers and RE agents, there are a plurality of beaches along Queen East). My parents had regular middle class jobs, and bought the house in the 1980s for a couple of hundred grand. My wife's parents, a Bell Canada tech and a school teacher, bought their house in the Beaches for under $50K in the 1960s. In 1998 my wife and I (school secretary and junior marketing manager) bought our house in Cabbagetown for well under $300K.

These days of affordable housing are over. Regular folk simply cannot afford family sized housing in the city. It's not a problem in my mind as it's the market deciding the price, and it's not something I want the gov't to remedy. But it's still a fact that the city is becoming unaffordable for many families.

 

[Tuscani01]

So its a 2.25% property tax increase + .5% levy for Scarborough subway = 2.75% increase in 2015. Seems reasonable to me.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I think there is some truth that Toronto, especially within the pre-amalgamation Toronto borders, is becoming a community where only the well off or those on government assistance can raise kids. The folks who do not use or qualify for gov't housing or other funding support, and who do not have well paying jobs can likely not afford to raise kids here.

...

These days of affordable housing are over. Regular folk simply cannot afford family sized housing in the city. It's not a problem in my mind as it's the market deciding the price, and it's not something I want the gov't to remedy. But it's still a fact that the city is becoming unaffordable for many families.

I think it's important to note that it is unaffordable iff one's intention is to raise kids per North American expectations, i.e. "family sized housing". Remove this expectation, and raising a family is still very much possible. Perhaps a greater issue of concern is economic polarization and erosion of the middle class itself, but that's a socioeconomic matter that goes beyond urban borders.

AoD

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

I think it's important to note that it is unaffordable iff one's intention is to raise kids per North American expectations, i.e. "family sized housing". Remove this expectation, and raising a family is still very much possible. Perhaps a greater issue of concern is economic polarization and erosion of the middle class itself, but that's a socioeconomic matter that goes beyond urban borders.

AoD

There are two things, linked but separate, in Beez' & your thoughts, AoD: the assumption of home ownership and the assumption of what raising kids per NA expectations means. Old Toronto has a multitude of things for family activities, through the city and other organizations, and it has a fair chunk of decent rental housing. Cost to buy a house has soared, though, and the number of people who believe kids need private lessons or five sports or separate rooms, etc. are legion.

Riverdale is much more expensive than when we bought our first house in the early '90s, but the rents haven't climbed to the same extent.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

There are two things, linked but separate, in Beez' & your thoughts, AoD: the assumption of home ownership and the assumption of what raising kids per NA expectations means. Old Toronto has a multitude of things for family activities, through the city and other organizations, and it has a fair chunk of decent rental housing. Cost to buy a house has soared, though, and the number of people who believe kids need private lessons or five sports or separate rooms, etc. are legion.

Riverdale is much more expensive than when we bought our first house in the early '90s, but the rents haven't climbed to the same extent.

Indeed, that has crossed my mind - i.e. a) raising kids requires some kind of structure in house form with a front door on the ground and b) ownership of said structure. It would be interesting to see how the emergent "living small" movement percolate and change expectations when it comes to raising families.

AoD

 

[TheTigerMaster]

So its a 2.25% property tax increase + .5% levy for Scarborough subway = 2.75% increase in 2015. Seems reasonable to me.

Is this increase at or below the rate of inflation?

 

[AlbertHWagstaff]

Is this increase at or below the rate of inflation?

Depends your choice of inflation rate: national, provincial or Toronto. One figure I heard this morning was that Toronto inflation is at 2.7%, which is above the national rate of about 2% and above the Ontario rate, which I can't recall now, but somewhere between the national rate and Toronto rate.

 

[salsa]

I could cry tears of joy about the 12 new Blue Night routes being added! Any word on what these routes might be?

And also, where are the 4 new express buses gonna be?

 

[nfitz]

So its a 2.25% property tax increase + .5% levy for Scarborough subway = 2.75% increase in 2015. Seems reasonable to me.

Except that's the overall increase. Residential increases more, while industrial/commercial increase less (and might even go down).

So residential is a 2.7% property tax increase + .5% levy for Scarborough = 3.2%.

 

[nfitz]

These are likely the 12.

Looks like some are just extensions. Still a great move forward. I'd be happy to see a 504 (304) night service - I can't say any of the others would help me much. Though the new Spadina perhaps.

 

[nfitz]

And also, where are the 4 new express buses gonna be?

Hard to say. This is what was in the August 2014 proposal:

Bathurst and Don Mills would be my guesses. Can't think which other 2 they might pick.

 

[sweetlou]

Well luckily in ten years this won't be an issue, because affordable housing in regent park is being demolished for small condos that cater to high income earners. All those parents that need subsidies will soon be displaced.

Not so fast nrb. Regent Park is being rebuilt in five phases (phase 3 underway) to provide a mix of social and market housing. You can look it up as follows:

"According to Toronto Housing, before revitalization there were 7,500 tenants living in 2,083 rent-geared-to-income (RGI) units. After phase I and II construction, the goal is to have:

About 12,500 residents
2,083 rent-geared-to-income (RGI) units replaced (about 1,583 on the original site and 500 nearby in east downtown)
700 new affordable rental units (about 200 on the original site and 500 nearby in the east downtown)
over 3,000 market condominium units, including some affordable ownership opportunities (each paying property taxes to the City)
a mix of townhomes and mid-rise and high-rise buildings
Community facilities such as:
parks
a new aquatic centre
a new community centre
an arts and cultural centre and
new retail and commercial spaces [3]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regent_Park_Revitalization_Plan

 

[freshcutgrass]

Eliminating TTC fares should prove enormously popular. But really it's time to shift the burden to drivers (Vehicle Registration Tax).

It's not really the kids that get a free ride...it's the parents. Sounds like one of those "family values" ideas more popular with the born-again, pro family, anti-gay conservative movement lead by Harper.

Personally, I'm tired of subsidizing every aspect of other people's interest in continuing to overpopulate the planet.

Let's have public transit totally subsidized (no up-front user-fee at all), and start charging up-front road user-fees for car drivers instead. It makes sense, as aren't we trying to encourage public transit use and discourage car use on our grid-locked limited street resources???? But this is Toronto...we do the exact opposite. ha ha ha

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

It's not really the kids that get a free ride...it's the parents. Sounds like one of those "family values" ideas more popular with the born-again, pro family, anti-gay conservative movement lead by Harper.

Personally, I'm tired of subsidizing every aspect of other people's interest in continuing to overpopulate the planet.

Let's have public transit totally subsidized (no up-front user-fee at all), and start charging up-front road user-fees for car drivers instead. It makes sense, as aren't we trying to encourage public transit use and discourage car use on our grid-locked limited street resources???? But this is Toronto...we do the exact opposite. ha ha ha

Man, you're becoming a sour puss, FCG. You might want a few warm bodies of working age around to subsidize your old age, Snaggletooth.

 

[W. K. Lis]

These are likely the 12.

I see the Spadina and King night routes returning, but will they be as streetcars?