A Toronto committee’s push for yearly investment in our neighbourhoods

These meeting notes are part of Documenters Canada, which is partly funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). Learn more about our program here. The Green Line maintains full editorial independence to ensure journalistic integrity.

The Confronting Anti-Black Racism Advisory Committee is asking the City to invest up to $500,000 per year in each neighbourhood. Here’s why.

On March 23, 2026, the committee met to discuss neighbourhood planning, anti-Black racism in housing and Social Development Plans (SDPs).

City staff presented the Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy, which focuses on creating equitable opportunities by investing in people, community-led programs and resources.

Tamanna Yeasmin, co-chair of the Regent Park Neighbourhood Association, discussed the link between investing into the neighbourhood and preventing evictions. In a letter to the committee, Yeasmin said Regent Park is evidence that SDPs work and indicated that they strengthened community safety, increased employment pathways and more. 

May Mohamed, also a committee member, re-introduced a motion to fund similar plans. No funding was allocated automatically for SDPs in the 2026 budget. At this meeting, Mohamed called for these kinds of investments to be considered each year — starting with the 2027 budget proposal. 

Her motion proposes $250,000 to $500,000 per neighbourhood per year for a more proactive, city-wide strategy to support neighbourhood associations or community-led coalitions.

Her motion was passed. The recommendations will now move to City Council as part of the 2027 budget discussions.

Our Documenter’s local perspective:

I first learned about the impact of the Social Development Plan at an Executive Committee meeting on Dec. 9 last year, while I was awaiting my turn to depute about a human rights based approach to homeless encampments. One of the items that appeared before my turn was the Anti-Black Racism advisory committee’s request to Mayor Olivia Chow to consider allocating ongoing yearly funding of $250,000 to $500,000 per neighbourhood in the 2026 budget, in order to support neighbourhood associations or community-led coalitions in implementing Social Development Plans.

Deputants from Regent Park appealed to the mayor and the Executive Committee to reconsider their decision to end continued Social Development Plan funds to their community at the time. 

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.