The City of Toronto is taking concrete action to accelerate modular and rapid-build construction of housing.

Within a few months, the municipality will have an expanded roster of pre-qualified vendors who can quickly build housing that can be accessed and used by all municipalities in Ontario.

Recently, city staff were directed to increase the list of vendors and make them available to other jurisdictions. Council also took it a step further, ordering Toronto’s chief building official to review and strengthen guidelines, checklists and tools that help facilitate approvals and support those who manufacture buildings partially or completely off-site in a facility.

A report is expected to be brought back to the planning and housing committee by the end of September.

Staff have also been ordered to review and streamline a current program that certifies plans meet the requirements of the Ontario Building Code and report back to the committee with any necessary Toronto Municipal Code amendments by the end of the third quarter of this year.

The move was initiated in response to separate letters from Coun. Brad Bradford, vice-chair of the planning and housing committee, a representative of an Ancaster-based modular manufacturing facility and a coalition of advocates who support building housing of all types.

“To increase the supply of housing — and restore affordability — municipalities like Toronto must take steps to unlock rapid-build construction technologies that will help us build the housing that we need,” Bradford stated in his letter. “Through programs like the Rapid Housing Initiative, we’ve seen the benefits of modular construction and other rapid-build technologies.”