Toronto social housing complex opens after 18 years of vacancy due to flooding
The 17-unit Etobicoke townhouse complex was redesigned and renovated for $9.7 million with a new flood-mitigation system. Tenants could move in as soon as August.
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A Toronto Community Housing complex in Etobicoke is being readied to welcome tenants nearly two decades after flooding from a nearby creek forced residents out.
The 17-unit townhouse complex at 50 Torbolton Drive stood empty since 2008, when recurring flooding and mould became untenable. Federal and city funds unlocked through the National Housing Strategy in 2018 allowed the housing provider to revitalize the property for $9.7 million — far less than the cost of building new affordable housing.
Design manager Adam Pelissero led the project and found the building was still in good structural condition despite years of vacancy. The key innovation was simple: the team blocked off the basement and filled it with gravel, allowing floodwater to pass beneath the building — a flood-mitigation method inspired by gabion baskets Pelissero observed in Nova Scotia.
The redesigned complex meets strict energy efficiency requirements. Toronto Community Housing says tenants could move in as soon as August, with priority given to families with children with disabilities. Rent for the three-bedroom units will be set at 30 per cent of the household's income.
Federal Housing Minister Gregor Robertson toured the site Thursday to mark the revitalization.
