More Housing Options in the Box Grove Community

Housing is the foundation of strong and caring communities. Safe, secure and affordable housing is essential for everyone. Community housing provides subsidized or affordable rents to households with low and moderate incomes, delivered by non-profit and cooperative housing providers and Housing York Inc.

At the end of 2023, there were more than 15,700 households on York Region’s subsidized housing wait list. Wait times range from seven six to ten eight years, depending on household composition and geographic preference.

Affordable housing is one of the greatest challenges facing the Region today. In the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, York Region has the lowest proportion of rental housing at 14%, and the highest proportion of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs, with 52% of renters facing affordability challenges. In early 2021, York Regional Council passed a resolution declaring a housing affordability crisis and established a Housing Affordability Task Force to identify solutions and initiate actionable change. York Regional Council and Housing York Inc. are committed to increasing the supply of community housing in all communities across the Region.

In addition, new community housing buildings in York Region include a mix of apartments offered at market rates that are available to the general public to rent. This offers a key component of ‘missing middle’ housing, homes that fall in between single detached dwellings and high-rise apartments, that provide an opportunity to live in York Region for those who choose to rent a home instead of own.

The property at the corner of 14th Avenue and Donald Cousens Parkway is owned by York Region, and a portion of the site is already home to some critical underground infrastructure.

The site was selected for housing based on the established need for affordable housing in Markham, the existing neighbourhood that includes numerous parks, shops, and community amenities, and it’s alignment with City and Regional land use planning objectives. The site is located close to schools, the Box Grove Community Centre, cycling routes and the Rouge National Urban Park. Major shopping centres with grocery stores, medical offices and daycare are within 1.5 kilometres of the site. The site is serviced by York Region Transit.

There is a significant need for affordable housing options in the City of Markham. Research shows:

• One-in-three households in Markham have housing affordability issues
• Nearly one-in-five households in Markham are spending 50% or more of their income on housing alone
• Average price of a resale home in Markham has doubled over the last 10 years
• Average market rent is increasing faster than inflation

The proposed location at 14th Avenue and Donald Cousens Parkway provides an opportunity to help address the significant need for more housing options.

York Region started the planning process and community engagement early on to ensure the site is development ready for the future. 

York Region anticipates securing site plan approval and prequalifying potential builders in 2024. Preliminary site works are anticipated to begin in 2024. Above-grade construction is anticipated to begin in 2025.  Construction will not begin until all appropriate approvals and permits from the City of Markham are in place.

The preliminary proposal included two buildings between four and six storeys in height with both affordable and market rental units.

York Region submitted the proposal in an initial planning application to the City of Markham in January 2022. The application has been reviewed by City departments and other commenting agencies like the Toronto Region Conservation Authority. The proposal was shared at a Statutory  Public Meeting held by the City of Markham in June 2022.

York Region resubmitted revised planning applications on October 12 and December 21, 2023, to address community and City feedback and respond to funding opportunities.

The revised proposal includes 153 units within a 4- and 6-storey building with underground and surface parking and outdoor amenity space. The revised proposal reflects a one-phase approach, responds to technical and community feedback and will provide much-needed rental housing, including affordable and market rent options.

The City of Markham held a second Statutory Public Meeting on January 23, 2024, to discuss the revised proposal and receive public feedback. The supporting Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment was approved by the City of Markham’s Development Services Committee on March 5, 2024, and adopted by Markham City Council on March 20, 2024.

We continue to incorporate feedback and make improvements to the plans. There will be further opportunities for community engagement on the plan through the project’s Community Liaison Committee.

The development proposal will also be subject to Site Plan Control. Through the Site Plan Application process the City will review the design and layout of the development including building location, landscaping, parking, drainage, pedestrian access, sidewalk improvements, etc. to ensure compliance with City standards and urban design guidelines.

Yes! All new HYI developments take great consideration of the existing neighbourhood context, and this is reflected in the high-quality building materials and design elements incorporated in the final plans for the development. For examples of recently completed York Region community housing developments and design features, please visit the New Developments and Proposed Projects page. 

As part of the required planning approvals process, a traffic impact study has been completed to look at how the development will impact the transportation network. Traffic counts of existing traffic are done to better understand current traffic flow, and then projections for the future traffic caused by the new development are considered. A detailed analysis is undertaken, and findings are incorporated into the consultants final report, which is distributed to the City for consideration There is a trunk sewer located on the property and access must be maintained. This portion of the property will not be developed. This impacts the design and the location of entrances/exits to the site. 

Any development  would also include installing sidewalks at the front of the site along 14th Avenue. York Region and the City of Markham are working closely to establish sidewalk and road connections.   

The new development will provide housing for seniors, families and individuals. The building will offer a mix of affordable and market rent units. Typically, a new Housing York Inc. building has 30% of apartments for rent to the general public at market rental prices, and 70% of apartments at rents that vary, but are approximately one third of the residents’ income.

Once construction is complete,  apartments will be offered to eligible people who are on the top of  York Region’s centralized wait list for affordable housing  

Market rent vacancies are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, and are open to everyone. More information about market rentals is available at york.ca 

York Region provides high-quality homes that are open to all community members. Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. 

A Community Liaison Committee made up of residents and business owners is working closely with York Region staff to provide input and address issues during the pre-development and construction periods. The Community Liaison Committee meets quarterly regularly and explores opportunities to integrate the new housing development into the surrounding neighbourhood. We will continue to engage the Community Liaison Committee throughout the planning and design process.

The City of Markham hosted Statutory Public Meetings for the proposal on June 7, 2022, and January 23, 2024, at Development Services Committee where community members were invited to share feedback and ask questions about the proposal.

In addition, York Region hosted a second Public Information Centre on November 9, 2023 to share project updates and an updated concept plan that incorporates some community feedback heard to date.

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For more information about this housing development, future engagement opportunities, or the work of the Community Liaison Committee, please contact the project Community Liaison:

Phone: 289-338-8063
Email: @email 

If you have general inquiries, please contact Access York:

Phone: 1-877-464-9675
TTY: 1-866-512-6228
Email: @email