Purpose-built rental proposal next to Aaniin Community Centre receives mixed responses from public

Demonstrators at the northwest corner of Hwy 7 & Warden waved signs reading “Save Markham” and “No overdevelopment in Markham” before the February 4th development public meeting on Remington Group’s new purpose-built rental housing project.

The developer is proposing to build three mid-rise apartment buildings and 34 townhouses next to the Aaniin Community Centre. All of the units will be purpose-built rentals, including one unit which the Markham Inter-church Committee for Affordable Housing (MICAH) will manage. The meeting adjourned just past midnight, receiving over 20 deputations mixed with squabbles between councillors and deputants. 

While deputations continued to echo concerns of traffic, overdevelopment, and general quality of life from previous development meetings, some deputants raised concerns alluding to government and subsidized housing. Those in favour of the project voiced the need to de-stigmatize rental housing. 

Purpose-built rentals (PBR) are long-term rental-only units rented at market price and managed by investors or corporations alike. They are not owned, managed, or subsidized by the government. Unlike Markham’s other recent condo developments, individuals do not need to purchase the unit or rent from a landlord to acquire housing. 

PBRs are meant to make housing more accessible for those who currently cannot afford to be a homeowner. 

“This is probably better labelled as attainable housing,” Mayor Frank Scarpitti said in his concluding remarks. Only 30 per cent of Remington’s units will be 10 per cent below market rate. The rest will be rented at market value. 

PBRs are part of the affordable housing solution, Lee Webb, Co-chair of the Affordable Housing Coalition of York Region (AHCYR), explained in an interview. Making housing more affordable needs more policy intervention, such as meaningful rent control or controls on speculation, such as a vacant homes tax. 

With regard to this specific proposal, AHCYR expressed support for the MICAH operation at the public meeting but has no position on the Remington portion. 

MICAH is a non-profit corporation which manages housing for low-income seniors, individuals, and persons with disabilities. They have managed other rental properties in Markham, such as the Tony Wong House located near the Milliken Mills Community Centre. 

Remington’s project borders Markham Road and 14th, an intersection known for its congestion due to transiting city commuters and higher population density— but Ward 7 is also known for its large renting population. 

Councillor Juanita Nathan (Ward 7), who was unaware of the proposal due to a technicality in staff and councillor communication, expressed that while the PBRs could help the community within the ward and Markham, increasing the population density may agitate congestion and potentially overburden pre-existing public infrastructure.  

Despite her concerns and those of her ward, she reinforced that this issue is not isolated to Ward 7 or Markham. Everyone needs housing, she pushed. 

“You need to have all types of housing because all types of people live in a city.” 

According to a 2023 report from the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD), 41 per cent of the GTA’s rented dwellings are PBRs. The number is anticipated to grow as homebuyers continue to decrease.

*Story and photo submitted by Dina Dong.