Toronto neighbourhoods could potentially see increased funding to support Social Development Plan approach

On March 23, 2026, Toronto’s Confronting Anti-Black Racism Advisory Committee reviewed neighbourhood planning strategies, eviction prevention and funding pathways tied to strengthening the City’s community development.

People sitting in a park. — Regent Park residents sitting a neighbourhood park – Amanda Seraphina for The Green Line

City staff began the meeting presenting the Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy, which focuses on creating equitable opportunities for Toronto residents through investing in its people, resources and community-led programs.

The committee highlighted two approaches to development. The first is the Community Development Plan which aims at equity and reconciliation in Toronto neighbourhoods. The second, and the more emphasized approach, is the Social Development Plan (SDP) which supports Toronto Community Housing tenants during neighbourhood revitalization.

Committee member Walied Khogali Ali said SDPs should be community-led, rather than managed solely by City Staff.

He highlighted that the Regent Park Social Development Plan was a major success to the neighbourhood — leading to zero gun-related deaths in 2023 because of sustained funding, staffing and long-term community care.

Tamanna Yeasmin, co-chair of the Regent Park Neighbourhood Association, said neighbourhood investment is a strong tool to prevent eviction. She said that SDPs can support residents before issues escalate, they can increase safety and increase employment opportunities.

Other committee members emphasized the importance of sustained funding to support community and youth-led initiatives.

Committee member May Mohamed reintroduced a motion from a previous meeting that did not get approved prior. She called on the Mayor for dedicated and ongoing funding for SDPs annually.

The motion proposes between $250,000 to $500,000 per neighbourhood each year to ensure a more proactive and citywide approach.

Mohamed said the City has the tools and frameworks but not the scale and sustained investment needed for citywide care.

The committee passed the motion and the recommendation will move to City Council as part of the 2027 budget process.

Key takeaways

Committee member Walied Khogali-Ali said Social Development Plans should be community-led, rather than managed solely by City staff.

Each neighbourhood could be getting $250,000 to $500,000 if the motion is approved by Council.

The Regent Park Social Development Plan was a success and a leading example for other SDPs.

On-the-ground observations from our documenter, SEBASTIAN TANSIL

I first learned about the impact of the Social Development Plan while I was awaiting my own turn to personally depute at an Executive Committee Meeting on Dec. 9th last year in regards to a human rights based approach to homeless encampments.

One of the items that appeared before I deputed on my item was the Anti-Black Racism advisory committee’s request to Mayor Olivia Chow to consider in the development of the 2026 budget allocating ongoing yearly funding in the range of $250,000 to $500,000 annually per neighbourhood to support neighbourhood associations or community-led coalitions to implement Social Development Plans.

I was personally struck by the evidence backing this request from the demonstrated success of the Regent Park Social Development Plans – particularly that there were zero gun-related deaths for the neighbourhood’s first time in 2023.

Deputants from Regent Park appealed to the Mayor and the Executive Committee to reconsider their decision to end continued Social Development Plans funds to their community in their next budget. This experience piqued my curiosity in the Anti-Black Racism’s Advisory Committee efforts to continue SDPs across the different equity-seeking communities in Toronto.

As a Kensington Market resident, I understand that funding decisions absolutely impact the equity based landscape of a community. On May 21, 2025, City Council approved $1.2 million in funding for the Kensington Market Community Land Trust to acquire 26 residential units which were then all brought into rent control.

Helping move toward greater stability for commercial and residential tenants in the culturally rich neighbourhood of Kensington-Chinatown is a strategic outcome that was made possible from intentional funding allocations.