Historic row houses in Cabbagetown, south of St James’s Town, for redevelopment as low-income housing by Toronto Community Housing (TCH). Renovations have been stalled for years, at least in part because of their heritage status. Dixon Hall, a non-profit agency that provides housing and support services throughout the city's east downtown core, was top bidder for the lot but says it can't move forward until several issues are overcome.

HousingNowTO technical lead Mark Richardson: "Tearing down this handful of old buildings and building a new modern, accessible rooming house building on that Wellesley Street site would be a less costly and more efficient way to house the homeless."

ACO Chair, Diane Chin: "We are not opposed to redoing the insides of these buildings so that they are totally modern and up to existing guidelines, with respect to all that is necessary to make them energy efficient. Retrofitting existing buildings is better economically because it produces more jobs locally and its better for the environment, because new uses less of materials that are produced offshore. How much longer can we continue to demolish and truck buildings to landfill?"

Past President, Winchester Park Residents Association, Heather Wilberforce: "They're integral to the community ... I don't care for the idea of tearing them down and building a large 10 or 12-storey building to warehouse people."

With thanks, Michael Smee · CBC News, Nov 25, 2023: Historic Cabbagetown rowhouses slated for affordable housing still in limbo