The Struggle to Resource The Regent Park SDP Network

 In 2003, when Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) began submitting plans to the City for the transformation of Regent Park, from 100% Public Housing to a mixed income and mixed-use community,  the approval from City Council required TCHC to work collaboratively with Regent Park residents and local agencies to develop and implement a Social Development Plan (SDP). 

The Regent Park SDP would ensure that redevelopment would not just be about building new housing and facilities but would positively change the quality of life experienced by Regent Park residents - which at that time were exclusively socio-economically challenged TCHC Tenants living in rent geared to income (RGI) units.

Regent Park would be the very first redeveloped TCHC community to have a SDP which would give community members a say in what they felt would improve the lives of residents in the new Regent Park.  

To meet City Council’s requirement, the city’s community development staff worked in partnership with TCHC staff to carryout numerous consultation sessions with local residents, grassroots groups, frontline agency staff, managers and board members. This group would soon be known as the SDP Stakeholder’s Table. 

The first SDP was completed in 2007. Based upon research regarding similar national and international redevelopment processes, SDP Stakeholder Table members chose social cohesion & inclusion as over arching goals and the plan they came up with contained 75 recommendations.  Although some of the recommendations were principle statements rather then actions, an immediate concern was how could the recommendations be implemented unless funding was available.  

In response to this funding challenge, agencies serving residents and supporting grassroots group in the area, had been informed by the city that there would not be any additional funding provided. Instead they were to use the funds they had in new ways. Yet many of the agencies had experienced budget cuts making it difficult for them to already meet existing service needs. Concerned about what the delivery expectations were inherent in implementing the recommendations, the agencies made it clear that they were not in a position to resource the SDP.

For 13yrs it was a struggle to make much progress without dedicated funding to implement the SDP and it also was extremely hard to engage resident volunteers in the work effort without being able to cover the cost of outreach, child minding, refreshments and honoraria. 

In 2017 the City and TCHC selected consultants to carry out a series of SDP Refresh workshops and residents of Regent Park came together to identify Community Building, Safety, Economic Development and Communications as priority focus areas to achieving the goal of having a socially cohesive and inclusive mixed income and mixed-use community.  This body would evolve into the Stakeholders Table. Along with a Stakeholders Table, four working groups, associated with the four focus areas, and a planning committee was established, forming the SDP Network. Yet no funding was forthcoming. 
Because expectations in regard to the SDP Refresh could not be met without resources resident leaders and agency stakeholders mobilized to carry out a City targeted Funding advocacy campaign. They met with their ward’s City Councillor who was very supportive. They also circulated a Petition, gathered support letters and provided deputations to City Council and its various Committees.

It was a lot of work but the effort was successful! In 2020, City Council approved 5yrs of funding to the Regent Park SDP Stakeholders Table in the amount of 2.5 million, a full-time staff position to provide project coordination and an annual operating budget of $50,000 that would be administered by the City’s Community Development Unit of the Social Development, Finance and Administration Department.

5 years of project funding and a yearly operating budget made it possible for the SDP Work Groups and local community organizations to plan and implement resident engagement focused activities and events. The impact of this funding is well documented by the SDP Network. 

Unfortunately, although the physical building of redevelopment process continues, once again in 2026 the SDP Network has no funding provided by the City for social development related projects or events. 

Today the need for social development planning in Regent Park has not changed and achieving the goal of social cohesion and inclusion is still a key indicator of a successful mixed income and mixed-use community transformation process. However without adequate support and resourcing it’s going to be very hard to accomplish what is required to increase the sense of belonging all residents experience and improve the quality of their life.      
      
The Regent Park SDP Network continues to advocate for City funds to implement social inclusion and cohesion projects in Regent Park. 

By Deany Peters