The City of Toronto this month launched an improved 311 online portal, making the service easier and more convenient to use, which includes providing real-time status updates from start to finish.
The City continues to rapidly evolve and modernize service delivery to improve access to services while providing a consistent service experience that builds trust & confidence in municipal services.
With the launch of this new service, all of the approximately 600 services that 311 offers are now available online, including requests for snow plowing and tree maintenance, overflowing catch basins, dogs off leash and inadequate heat in apartment buildings.
Residents, businesses and visitors now have the option of calling in to speak with an agent, live online chat or submitting a service request online. Users will be able to track the status of their request from start to finish and can opt-in to receive real-time status updates via text (SMS) or email notification.
City Council also adopted a new Inclusionary Zoning framework that will ensure more affordable housing is built across the City of Toronto.
The City is the first municipality in Ontario to implement these measures.
Beginning next year the measures makes it mandatory for certain new condo developments around Protected Major Transit Areas to include from five per cent to 10 per cent of their units as affordable housing, which will increase to 8 to 22% by 2030.
THE City is scrambling to deal with its affordable housing crisis.
The amount of affordable housing required will vary depending on where in the city the development is located, and whether the units are intended for rental or ownership.
The policy will be monitored and reviewed after one year to allow for adjustments that may be required including changes to the phase-in and, or set aside rate, alterations to the minimum development size threshold and any other changes needed to ensure market stability and production of affordable housing units.
This is another step towards meeting the goals set out by City to approve 40,000 new affordable rental units, and 4,000 affordable home ownership opportunities.