More free portable ACs for vulnerable tenants

Summary#

This item expands and standardizes the City’s program that gives free portable air conditioners (ACs) to low‑income and vulnerable residents. It adds one‑time funding in 2026 and increases an existing supply-and-install contract so more units can be delivered this summer. The broad goal is to reduce health risks from extreme heat for people most at risk. The report also updates Council that staff are still studying a maximum indoor temperature by-law, but are not ready to propose one.

Key changes:

• Adds a one‑time $1.06 million in 2026 (from the City’s Corporate Extreme Weather Reserve) to supply and install more portable ACs.
• Amends the City’s existing contract with CLEAResult Canada Inc. to buy, deliver, and install additional portable ACs in 2026.
• Standardizes access across three streams so eligible people can receive a City‑supplied AC: the Air Conditioner Assistance Program, the City’s Hardship Fund, and Ontario Works/Ontario Disability Support Program (OW/ODSP) discretionary benefits.
• Directs distribution of City‑procured ACs to vulnerable tenants in Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) and Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation (TSHC), with a focus on seniors.
• Aims to supply and install about 2,400 portable ACs in summer 2026.
• Notes work is ongoing on a maximum indoor temperature by‑law; more analysis is needed, including how to avoid above‑guideline rent increases (AGIs) for tenants.

What it means for you#

• Low‑income seniors, pregnant people, and infants in multi‑unit buildings

  • More free, in‑suite portable ACs will be available in 2026 through the City’s Air Conditioner Assistance Program. Installation is included.

• People receiving OW/ODSP discretionary benefits or applying to the City’s Hardship Fund

  • If you qualify for a cooling benefit, you can choose a City‑supplied and installed portable AC instead of up to $300 cash toward a device. This could help people who cannot buy, transport, or install a unit on their own.

• Tenants in TCHC/TSHC buildings (especially seniors)

  • Your housing provider may receive City‑procured portable ACs to distribute to vulnerable tenants. TCHC/TSHC can also use the City’s procurement to buy more units if needed.

• Landlords in the private market

  • No new requirement is added by this item. The report says a separate, future proposal on a maximum indoor temperature by‑law is still being developed.

• All tenants without landlord‑provided cooling

  • This is an expansion of a targeted program. It will help thousands but does not create a right to cooling for all tenants. A maximum temperature by‑law is not proposed in this report.

• Timing

  • The City plans to supply and install up to about 2,400 portable ACs during summer 2026.

• What is unclear

  • Exact selection/priority rules within each stream, how long installations will take, and whether tenants will face any added electricity costs are not specified in the material provided.

Expenses#

Estimated public cost: one‑time about $1.06 million in 2026, funded from the Corporate Extreme Weather Reserve, plus $1.0 million already approved to run the base program.

• The 2026 City budget already includes $1.0 million in permanent funding for at least 1,000 ACs through the Air Conditioner Assistance Program.
• This item adds $1.06 million (one‑time) to expand eligibility and supply across three streams, targeting about 2,396 additional ACs in 2026:
  • About $0.390 million to the Air Conditioner Assistance Program (estimated 674 units).
  • About $0.350 million to support eligible Hardship Fund and OW/ODSP clients (estimated 1,148 units). After recoveries linked to the $300 per‑unit benefit in these programs, the City estimates a net cost of about $0.350 million for this stream.
  • About $0.320 million for TCHC/TSHC tenants (estimated 574 units).
• The City’s blanket contract with CLEAResult Canada Inc. would increase by $1,060,000 (net of HST recoveries) to cover extra supply, delivery, and installation. The total contract value would rise to about $2.17 million (net of HST recoveries).
• Actual spending is limited to approved budgets and recoveries from the Hardship Fund and OW/ODSP discretionary benefits.
• The City’s Chief Financial Officer reviewed and agreed with the financial impact information.

Proponents' View#

• Extreme heat is one of Toronto’s most urgent climate hazards, and older adults and other vulnerable groups face higher health risks. This pilot appears intended to reduce those risks quickly for people most in need.
• Standardizing access across City and social assistance programs could improve fairness and make it easier for eligible residents to get an installed unit, which may be more effective than a small cash benefit.
• Bulk procurement with delivery and installation can remove barriers for seniors and low‑income tenants who cannot safely install units themselves.
• Directing units to TCHC/TSHC tenants, with a focus on seniors, targets people who are often at the highest risk from indoor heat.
• Public submissions from non‑profit and health groups supported expanding free ACs and noted this can provide immediate, life‑saving relief during heat events.

Opponents' View#

• Scale of impact: Public submissions stated the planned 2,400 units are a small share of the many rental homes without landlord‑provided cooling, so many vulnerable tenants will still lack in‑unit cooling this summer.
• No by‑law yet: Several submissions raised concern that this report does not include the promised maximum indoor temperature by‑law or a timeline, despite previous Council direction to report back by May 2026.
• Tenant costs: The City’s own consultations found that about 90% of private‑market landlords would likely try to pass retrofit costs to tenants through AGIs if a maximum temperature rule is later adopted. Submissions urged safeguards so required cooling does not increase rents.
• Access barriers: Some submissions said the Hardship Fund’s medical prescription requirement limits access to ACs for people who cannot easily see a clinician, and noted the fund appears under‑used for cooling.
• Shared cooling spaces: Submissions argued that reliance on common “cooling rooms” (in buildings without in‑suite AC) is not a substitute for safe temperatures in individual homes, especially for seniors and people with disabilities who cannot travel or stay for long periods.
• Broader indoor air quality: One submission noted portable ACs cool but do not filter air and suggested pairing cooling with filtration to address smoke and pollution during heat events.