A coalition of resident associations from across Toronto comprised of over 30 residents’ associations, which collectively include more than 175,000 Toronto residents wrote an open letter to Toronto City Council opposing the motion to allow low-rise 6-Unit multiplexes (“sixplexes”) citywide and asking them to defer the proposal.
The letter was submitted on behalf of:
- Federation of North Toronto Residents’ Associations Incorporated (FoNTRA) whose objectives include “ensuring that development, taxation and other policies are compatible with our neighbourhoods”
- Scarborough United Neighbourhoods (SUN)
- Coalition of Etobicoke Residents’ Associations (CERA)
Letter
To: All Members of Toronto City Council
Date: June 23, 2025
Subject: Petition of Concern Regarding Proposed Amendments to Permit Sixplexes in All Toronto Neighbourhoods As of Right (item PH22.4)
This letter represents a broad coalition of resident associations from across Toronto, and the thousands of individual members comprising those associations.
We have come together with one voice to submit this open letter to all members of City Council to express our collective concern with the proposal to be debated for approval at the June 25th City Council meeting to permit multiplexes with up to six dwelling units in detached residential buildings city-wide, as of right (the “proposal”).
The proposal will have irreversible negative consequences on the fabric of Toronto’s neighbourhoods, particularly those in suburban areas of Scarborough, North York and Etobicoke. These neighbourhoods still reflect our ideal of a mixed-income and affordable Toronto where families can put down roots and thrive. The proposal’s rushed approach risks hollowing out these neighbourhoods, undermining Toronto’s unique and resilient character.
We embrace the City addressing the need for more and diverse housing options. But in its current form, the proposal adopts a “one-size-fits-all” solution to Toronto’s housing availability and affordability crisis. While well-intentioned, the proposal inadequately addresses this issue by failing to properly assess neighbourhood-specific factors on the viability of increased density, such as access to public transportation, local services and programming, and the availability of parking. The proposal also fails to account for real experience and data regarding impacts to neighbourhoods.
In addition, the proposal risks incentivizing developers to outbid families to purchase homes in comparatively more affordable areas, exacerbating the affordability crisis and making the homeownership dream of lower and middle-income families in Toronto even harder to achieve.
We remain optimistic that the City can evolve its approach to planning to meet the needs of current and future residents in a way that is sensitive to the diverse realities of Toronto neighbourhoods. This evolution must account for lessons yet to be fully learnt from the zoning changes related to multiplexes introduced in 2021, as well as those related to laneway and garden suites. It should also wait for a proper analysis of the Ward 23 sixplex pilot introduced in February 2025. The proposal is rushed and does not consider the forgoing.
Finally, significant zoning changes with irreversible impacts on neighbourhoods must appropriately engage communities in ways that go beyond pro forma gestures in order to ensure the long-term success and effectiveness of planning policies. There was no such engagement for the proposal.
For the future prosperity of Toronto, we urge Members of City Council to defer the proposal and to instead work with our resident associations, and communities more broadly, to better inform future planning changes of this magnitude. Specifically, the City should consult on a proposal for multiplexes which is neighbourhood-specific rather than “one-size-fits-all”, and incorporates local context and concerns, as well as data from other recent planning changes and studies.
Signed,
Long Branch Neighbourhood Association
Willowdale Central Ratepayers Association
West Rouge Community Association
Coalition of Etobicoke Residents’ Associations (CERA)
Richmond Gardens Ratepayers and Residents Association
Humber Valley Village Residents’ Association
Buttonwood Hill Residents Association
Islington Ratepayers & Residents’ Association
South Eatonville Residents’ Association
Lorraine Gardens/Glen Park Community
Markland Wood Homeowners Association
Kingsway Park Ratepayers Inc.
Glen Agar Residents Association
Scarborough United Neighbourhoods (SUN)
Cliffcrest Scarborough Village SW Residents Association
Centennial Community Recreation Association
Highland Creek Community Association
Agincourt Village Community Association
Federation of North Toronto Resident Associations (FoNTRA)
355 St Clair West Tenants Association,
Annex Residents Association (ARA),
Bayview Village Assn (BVA),
Bedford Park Residents Organization (BPRO),
Bedford Wanless Ratepayers Association (BWRA),
Bloor East Neighbourhood Association (BENA),
Broadway Area Residents Association;
Deer Park Residents’ Group Inc,
Don Mills Residents Inc. (DMRI),
Edwards Gardens Neighbourhood Association,
Eglinton Park Residents’ Association,
Governor’s Bridge Ratepayers Association,
Greater Yorkville Residents Association (GYRA),
Henry Farm Community Interest Association,
Lawrence Park Ratepayers’ Association,
Leaside Residents Association,
Lytton Park Residents’ Organization,
North Rosedale Residents Association,
Rathnally Area Residents Assn (RARA},
St. Andrew’s Ratepayers Association,
South Armour Heights Residents’ Association (SAHRA),
South Eglinton Davisville Residents’ Association (SEDRA),
South Hill District Home Owners’ Association,
South Rosedale Ratepayers’Association,
Stanley Knowles Housing Co-op,
Summerhill Residents’ Association,
Teddington Park Residents Association,
Upper Avenue Residents’Association,
Uptown Yonge Neighbourhood Alliance (UYNA),
Wenderly Park Community Association,
West Lansing Homeowners Association,
Wychwood Park Ratepayers Assn;
Yonge Corridor Condominium Association (YCCA),
York Mills Neighbours Association (YMNA),
York Mills Ratepayers Association (YMRA),
York Mills Valley Association (YMVA).
FoNTRAs objectives include:
- We will be dedicated to ensuring that development, taxation and other policies are compatible with our neighbourhoods and the needs of our residents;
- Standing together as FoNTRA to ensure that any property development and redevelopment is in keeping with the Official Plan, Zoning By-Laws and Secondary Plans irrespective of the local association area in which an application is made.
- Placing developers and planners on notice that applications for new developments or redevelopments that significantly affect any part of our region affect all of our members. We will review and respond to them accordingly;
Toronto City Council voted to allow low-rise sixplexes in 9 of 25 wards
On June 25–27, 2025, Toronto City Council voted to adopt three significant amendments under the Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods (EHON) initiative:
Comments
We want to hear from you! Share your opinions below and remember to keep it respectful. Please read our Community Guidelines before participating.