As a result of aging buildings and long term maintenance delays, residents are living in buildings that suffer from such chronic issues as leaking roofs, leaking plumbing, poor air circulation and general deterioration. Examples include:

Roofs

Townhouses have roof problems due to age and maintenance delays. Roofs have blocked drains where water pools (4-6 inches after storm) then pours down the side and injures brickwork. Tandridge Apartments (40-year-old, 10 storey building) needs $500,000 for a leaking roof. The 44-year-old townhouse complex at Yorkwood Village needs $1.8 million in roof repairs.

Plumbing

Bleeker Wellesley has huge issues with leaky plumbing risers (pipes that take water to each floor). Many buildings were installed with thin walled copper pipe to save money and these have developed pinhole leaks which soak walls and ceilings. Estimates to replace are difficult to make because when walls and ceilings come down other problems come to light.

St. Clair Birchmount (9-storey high rise) requires $400,000 to replace plumbing pipes after 40 years of corrosion. Tandridge needs $600,000 for plumbing risers where there is much leakage into halls.

Air circulation

Fresh air circulation fans on roofs of many buildings are not functioning. At a Gilder Crescent location (33-year-old, 18-storey high rise), all units are broken - for four years there has been no fresh air in halls and public spaces. Same for exhaust fans for many bathrooms. The 43-year-old high rise at 3181 Eglinton has a missing roof motor and all others are operating at low efficiency due to poor seals. This means there is no bathroom exhaust for many units. Tandridge needs $200,000 for new air circulation equipment.

General conditions

At Flemingdon Park, the 45-year old townhouses need nearly $2 million to refurbish units (all rooms repainted and floors refinished or replaced, kitchen and bathroom cabinets repaired or replaced). Many kitchens are missing cabinet doors or need new taps or counter tops. The 39-year-old Bleeker Wellesley complex alone needs $30 million for general repairs to 1,740 units.

Current annual capital repair budget – "A Drop in the Bucket"

• Annually $48 million for general capital repair
• Plus, $50 million added for building renewal in some older developments (one
  time)
• Plus, $26 million to address urgent maintenance issues in communities particularly affected by violence

Portfolio Capital Report

Examples of Portfolio-wide capital need:

Deferred capital=Total Estimated Need - Toronto Community Housing Capital Spending
Numbers based on portfolio estimates distributed to local ridings