Toronto Community Housing discuss housing equity and review air conditioning

On Feb. 12, 2026, Toronto Community Housing’s Tenant Services Committee held a public meeting to discuss housing equity, their violence reduction program and air conditioning.

Toronto Community Housing (TCHC)’s Tenant Services Committee (TSC) held the meeting online and in-person at City Hall. The agenda included approval of the Office of the Commissioner of Housing Equity’s 2025 Work Plan Performance Appraisal, a closing report on its violence reduction program, and an information session on the status of air conditioning across the TCHC portfolio.

Speaking on the issue of housing equity, Walied Khogali Ali with the Regent Park Neighbourhood Association (RPNA) wanted to address an eviction crisis within social housing. Ali said that, according to TCHC data, evictions from social housing increased by over 100% in two years. This coincides with the persistence of “hidden evictions,” which don’t appear in official data, and include informal displacement. They are calling for a city-wide moratorium on evictions from social housing, and are calling on tenants to share their experiences with them.  He also called for TCHC data to include race, noting that without this context, it would be impossible to assess potential systemic anti-Black impacts of evictions. Forty-two per cent of TCHC tenants identify as Black.

Committee member Dan McIntyre replied saying that while housing people is one of their highest priorities, sometimes all other options are exhausted and evictions happen.

One deputant was concerned about cooling during the summer. TCHC prohibited window AC units and previously ran an exchange program for tenants to replace them for a portable floor AC. The deputant said that this didn’t meet the needs of the tenants. The floor ACs were extremely noisy, had cheap hoses that broke and needed to be patched with duct tape, didn’t cool enough for a one-bedroom unit, and broke down after just two years.

The deputant said that there would be an extraordinary cost and complexity to retrofit all of TCHC’s housing stock and that all levels of government would need to step up. They noted that in the meantime, the city’s most vulnerable residents are relying on TCHC for habitable housing amid the health risks of extreme heat, and added that experts warned that this summer may be even hotter than last year’s. 

They suggested an audit of the 259 TCHC buildings that do not have in-suite air conditioning. They emphasized the need for urgency in order to purchase and install air conditioning by May 1. TCHC opens cooling rooms in communal areas during heat warnings, but the deputant suggested that the rooms be open in alignment with the city’s cooling centres. This would have them open from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.  seven days a week, rather than having to depend on weather reports or the discretion of site staff. A representative of the Regent Park Safety Network spoke about TCHC’s violence reduction program, noting that five buildings lack CCTV cameras on the upper floors. He also discussed other concerns in the community. Some residents complained of irritating noises keeping them up at night. The representative suggested that units be soundproofed. He also complained about narcotics being sold in some units.

Key takeaways

• According to the TCHC’s COO Nadia Gouveia, the TSC found that its Violence Reduction Program had meaningful results, including “strengthening community partnerships, supporting youth and tenant-led initiatives, improving cross-system coordination and contributing to long-term violence reduction across many of the participating sites.” It also found that the program’s site-specific, resource-intensive model had limitations, including “staffing constraints, shifting community needs, and the need for broader consistency across the portfolio.”
• The TSC heard from Walied Khogali Ali  with the Regent Park Neighbourhood Association (RPNA) that the group is concerned about a rise in evictions from public housing. TCHC data shows an increase of over 100% in two years. The RPNA called for a moratorium on evictions from social housing.
• The TSC received a report from the community about their air conditioning window exchange program, which had tenants trade window air conditioners for floor air conditioners. Tenants say these floor air conditioners provided less cooling, were significantly louder, and most broke down within two years.

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

I think that, amid Toronto’s growing unhoused population, the RPNA’s concern with evictions is warranted. The CBC reported that the unhoused population more than doubled over three years. I think that the call to include race-based data was a good point, and that seeing demographic information is necessary.Other than that, I have the good fortune of having air conditioning and I can’t imagine being stuck in a hot room over the summer with a broken AC. Cities are exceptionally hot due to dark surfaces like asphalt absorbing heat and releasing it back into the air. Twenty-two percent of TCHC tenants are 65 or older and the elderly are at greater risk in extreme heat. I agree with the deputant the TCHC needs to start addressing the air conditioning right away, in order to be prepared for the summer. I also agree with the suggestion to have set times that align with the city’s cooling centres. The added clarity will not only help tenants access cooling, but help them to advocate for themselves if it isn’t provided.

CHECK YOUR FACTS

https://torontohousing.ca/sites/default/files/2026-02/item_2_-_public_tsc_agenda_-_february_12_2026_for_web_posting_v2.pdf

https://torontohousing.ca/sites/default/files/2024-06/2023%20Tenant%20Survey_Key%20Findings_Final.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/live/-85bWyRo4j0?si=DAIhLOTxBLxddkLi

https://globalnews.ca/news/11619698/2026-hottest-year-prediction-canada/