Can one small change to your street help solve Toronto’s housing challenges?

Thanks to recent zoning updates, homeowners in Toronto can now add up to four residential units on most lots without the need to rezone – and up to six units in designated wards. These homes, commonly referred to as multiplexes, might include a main residence with a basement apartment and a garden suite, or a lowrise building with multiple units under one roof.

It’s a modest shift on paper, but it has the potential to significantly reshape how our city grows – and who gets to live here.

Shaping smarter zoning policies

TRREB has long advocated for zoning reform that enables more housing in established neighbourhoods. In our recent letters to the City of Toronto regarding multiplexes and sixplexes, we offered recommendations to support the successful implementation of as-of-right permissions – highlighting the importance of clarity, consistency and housing diversity.

These zoning changes are part of the City’s broader Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods (EHON) initiative and reflect the kind of modern, flexible policies needed to tackle Toronto’s ongoing housing supply challenges.

A quiet evolution with big potential

This isn’t about tearing down communities – it’s about adding gentle density that allows neighbourhoods to evolve gradually and thoughtfully. Creating more homes on existing lots supports multi-generational living, provides rental income opportunities and allows for downsizing – without leaving the communities people love.

Many of Toronto’s most beloved neighbourhoods already feature multiplexes. These updates simply make it easier to replicate what works, expanding housing options for more residents across the city.

More housing, more choice

Toronto urgently needs a greater mix of housing types. Not everyone wants – or can afford – a highrise condo or a detached home. Multiplexes help fill the gap with lowrise alternatives that fit seamlessly within the existing fabric of our streets.

They also increase access to walkable neighbourhoods, schools, parks and transit – without waiting years for large-scale developments. For homeowners and renters alike, it means more possibilities in the places people actually want to live.

From policy to progress

Ontario has set an ambitious goal to build 1.5 million new homes by 2031. Achieving that target requires policies that unlock more housing, in more places, more quickly. Multiplexes are part of that solution.

At TRREB, we remain focused on advancing practical solutions that make housing more attainable, sustainable and reflective of real-world needs. Zoning updates may not always make headlines – but they play a powerful role in shaping a city where everyone has a place to call home.

To read TRREB’s full letters on multiplexes and sixplexes, and to learn more about our housing advocacy, visit trreb.ca.