Toronto Community Housing’s Swansea Mews moves closer to demolition

The demolition of a Toronto Community Housing site is one step closer to taking place after an application was started for permits.

Toronto Community Housing, which runs affordable homes across the city, is moving to demolish its Swansea Mews homes after safety fears shut the complex down and forced residents to move out.

In June 2022, residents were moved from the housing complex after a safety inspection. That inspection came after a cement ceiling panel fell on a woman in Swansea Mews, sending her to hospital.

Toronto’s chief building official, Will Johnson, issued a ban on anyone living in the complex.

In a Feb. 17 document, officials admitted the building had to be torn down. “Based on engineering studies, it is now clear that there is no path towards fixing this problem with the buildings in their current condition,” a Toronto Community Housing report read.

On Friday, the Toronto Community Housing board voted to apply for demolition permits. That process can itself take months, according to a report put to the board.

“Approval of a demolition permit typically takes between 6-8 months or can extend to up to 18-24 months if rezoning is required,” the report stated. It pegged the cost of maintaining the existing, uninhabited housing complex, including security, at $326,000 per month.

by Global News