Ontario unlocks land in Toronto’s northwest for affordable housing development

In an effort to tackle Toronto’s affordable housing issues, Ontario is opening up provincially owned land in Etobicoke for housing developments.

In a news conference on Tuesday between Yonge and Bay streets, at a future affordable housing development, Premier Kathleen Wynne announced that another parcel of surplus land near Kipling and Finch will become homes of various sizes and affordability.

“We’re unlocking a large parcel of land in the Thistletown neighbourhood with hundreds of new mixed-income units,” said Wynne.

READ MORE: Ontario unlocking surplus land in downtown Toronto to create rental units, affordable housing

As part of the province’s Fair Housing Plan,  the addition will see up to 35 per cent of the units dedicated to affordable housing with the rest for sale at market rates.

A portion of the site will be protected as green space.

The province has yet to set a date for finalizing a developer for the area.

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“By unlocking these lands, we are helping individuals, families and seniors find the affordable and market housing they need. We believe increasing housing options for people from all walks of life will help build stronger, more inclusive communities,” said Ontario’s Minister of Housing Peter Milczyn in a statement.

The Thistletown development will also be close to city transit with the Finch West LRT, slated to open in 2022, nearby.