We believe that the best way to address the social and economic challenges facing many of our communities is through the active engagement of tenants, and through collaboration between tenants and community organizations to develop innovative responses to these issues. Toronto Community Housing established the Social Investment Fund (SIF) in 2004 to support community initiatives that build strong and healthy communities. The Social Investment Fund allocates $1 million in funding each year to projects that help improve the quality of life in Toronto Community Housing communities.

Toronto Community Housing has developed a Green Plan called Green Works. The plan sets out an approach to the greening of Toronto Community Housing and includes numerous initiatives and activities that engage staff, tenants and stakeholders. Green Works is an ongoing program that promotes a healthy environment and improves living standards and working conditions. We are taking a leading role in reducing energy consumption, recycling and the overall "greening" of our community.

Since 2002, Toronto Community Housing tenants have taken part in a participatory budgeting process that is part of Community Planning. The process involves tenants working together identifying their community’s priorities and then deciding on the distribution of a portion of capital funds to these priorities.

Toronto Community Housing's $300 million capital repair gap

Toronto’s social housing is in a critical state of disrepair. Toronto Community Housing inherited this serious problem when the provincial government of the day downloaded social housing in 2001, without the funding to bring it up to an acceptable standard.

In July 2006, Toronto Community Housing approved a new children and youth strategy that charts the direction for these services within the organization. Over the next three years (2007-2009) Toronto Community Housing will move from direct delivery in children’s programming to enabling and supporting quality youth programming. By 2010, it is anticipated that Toronto Community Housing will decrease its delivery of children’s programs by 80%. At the same time, Toronto Community Housing will increase youth programming from 12 to 35 locations.