Unit Refurbishment Program
The Unit Refurbishment Program is a direct investment in the upgrade of bathrooms and kitchens (and related unit mechanical systems) to address the poor condition of unit interiors. An investment of $75 million is proposed over three years.
The Unit Refurbishment Program is a direct response to tenants who have indicated that livability of many units is severely compromised. Unit survey results support the need for this investment.
The Unit Refurbishment Program will be developed with the input of a focus group of tenants and staff. Issues to be addressed in the design of the program is the identification of priority sites for investment, coordination with other major capital repairs, value of related investment requirements (major mechanical systems) and disruption to tenants.
Outcomes for the Unit Refurbishment Program are 9,000 kitchens and bathrooms replaced over three years. Kitchens and bathrooms have a planned life cycle of 20 years with minimal maintenance repair requirements. Resources for the Unit Refurbishment Program are identified in the Financial Investment Plan portion of the Community Management Plan.
Tenant and staff input
The program was developed based on input from tenants and staff, as well as on unit inspections and the 2006 tenant survey results. Tenants helped to decide the criteria for choosing the buildings and units that will be done first. Tenants and staff were also involved in identifying the colour schemes that tenants can choose from for their new bathroom and kitchens.
How were buildings selected?
Not all units will be refurbished. Buildings were selected based on:
- Units with high needs of repair
- Unit inspections
and to make sure there is:
- A good cross-section of Toronto Community Housing buildings
- A mix between high-rise and low-rise buildings and townhouses
- A mix of family, senior and bachelor units.
Which units get fixed first?
The decision to replace a kitchen or a bathroom or both is based on how badly in need of repair those rooms are. To decide which units would get fixed first, we looked at kitchens and bathrooms where:
- Counter tops are rotted
- Shelving is broken
- Doors are falling apart
- Flooring is coming up
- There is water damage
The Unit Refurbishment Program will be rolled out to all Toronto Community Housing buildings in the future.