Expanding Community Space Capital Grants are helping create spaces where more becomes possible — from faster access to food support to places where newcomers, seniors and caregivers can thrive.
When people face life’s toughest challenges — from food and housing insecurity to mental health struggles and settling into a new country — community agencies provide support, hope and a path forward. But as costs across the GTA continue to skyrocket, many agencies are facing a crisis of their own.
Some community agencies in our region are facing rent increases of over 88%. Even organizations that own their buildings often lack the resources needed to repair, renovate or expand their spaces as demand continues to grow. These agencies have never been more important, yet rising costs are pushing them out of the neighbourhoods that rely on them most — or worse, forcing them to close their doors altogether.
That’s why United Way Greater Toronto created the Community Real Estate Initiative. Through a $23-million investment in capital grants over 10 years — including over $4 million supporting 27 projects across the GTA — the initiative is helping community organizations secure stable, affordable spaces so essential services remain close to home.
But what does that look like in practice?
We spoke with three agencies — Parkdale Community Food Bank, Polycultural Immigrant and Community Services and Community & Home Assistance to Seniors (CHATS) — to learn how Expanding Community Space Capital Grants are helping create spaces where more becomes possible — from shorter waits for food to places where newcomer children can belong and caregivers can find peace of mind.
A permanent home for a growing communityÂ
Parkdale Community Food Bank offers barrier-free access to food while advocating to eliminate poverty and food insecurity. Renovations and equipment upgrades to the Parkdale Food Hub are improving accessibility, expanding food storage and preparation and creating a more dignified space for clients, staff and volunteers. An estimated 15,000 clients and 300 volunteers will benefit from the renovated space. Kitty Raman Costa, Executive Director of Parkdale Community Food Bank, explains how Expanding Community Space Capital Grants are making a difference at this agency.
Before receiving the funding, what challenges were you facing in your previous space? How was that affecting the people you serve day-to-day?
In 2017, rising rent forced us to leave our King Street West location for a basement space that was more affordable but much harder to operate from. The space wasn’t designed to meet growing demand, and people often waited outside in line for hours in all kinds of weather just to access food.
How did funding help you address the challenges, and what does it mean for the community you serve going forward?
When we purchased our own building at 5 Brock Avenue in 2025, support from United Way of Greater Toronto’s Expanding Community Space Capital Grants helped us make accessibility upgrades and create dedicated work and break spaces for our staff and volunteers.
The biggest change has been for the people who come through our doors. We now have an indoor waiting area where we can welcome nearly twice as many people at once, reducing wait times from as long as two hours to about 45 minutes.