中英对照：唐人街高档化与增加福利房不矛盾

 

 

早在多伦多市上周宣布在多伦多市中心新建两个福利房项目之前，市中心的唐人街就已经兴建另一个福利房项目。

 

Long before the City of Toronto announced two projects to create new affordable homes for some of its residents in the Downtown area last week, the approach to providing more affordable housing in Chinatown took shape under another development.

 

该项目位于唐人街Spadina Avenue的315至325号（Spadina Avenue和D'Arcy Street的交界处）。项目开发商悄悄地收购了这块地和上面的建筑，并在那里建造一栋13层的多用途高层公寓楼。

 

That particular project is located at 315 to 325 Spadina Avenue, right in the heart of Toronto's Chinatown. A developer quietly secured and purchased existing buildings at that location and planned to build a highrise apartment building there. This building at Spadina Avenue and D'Arcy Street will be a 13 storey mixed-use rental property upon completion.

 

这栋楼的总建筑面积为15,892平米，是占地面积的7.83倍。不包括顶层的机房，楼的设计高度为40.23米。一楼有面对Spadina和D'Arcy街的988平米的零售商店，外加进入公寓的大门和大厅。停车场和卸货入口在楼的背后。

 

The building will have a total gross floor area of 15,892 square metres and a density of 7.83 times the area of the lot. The overall proposed height is 40.23 metres, exclusive of the mechanical penthouse. The ground floor will contain 988 square metres of retail space fronting on Spadina Avenue and D'Arcy Street, an entrance and a lobby to the residential units above, and access to the loading and underground parking off the rear lane.

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一层以上的12层中有239套出租公寓。包括172套小单元（占总单元总数的72％），11套一室单元（5％），31套两室单元（13％）和25套三室单元（10％）。地下停车库可停35辆车，由住宅单元和零售单元共享。另外，一楼和地下停车库可提供252辆自行车车位。

 

A total of 239 rental residential units are proposed within the 12 floors above the ground floor. The unit mix is comprised of 172 studio units (72%), 11 one-bedroom units (5%), 31 two-bedroom units (13%), and 25 three-bedroom units (10%). A total of 35 vehicular parking spaces, to be shared between the residential units and the retail units, will be provided in a one-level below-grade parking garage. A total of 252 bicycle parking spaces are to be provided on the ground floor and within the below-grade parking garage.

 

为了搞这一项目，多伦多市政府改变了这块土地的使用规定。在此以前，Spadina街的主要路段不允许建6层以上的高层建筑。这些土地使用规定的变化可能为未来地产项目的发展开了绿灯。许多人认为，这一项目意味着未来开发的地产项目必须带有福利房。

 

In order for this development to move forward, the City made a number of changes to its zoning restrictions. In the past, it is not possible to build tall buildings over 6 to 7 floors along the main stretch of Spadina Avenue. These changes may now open up the flood gate to future developments. A new element seen by many to make this possible for this project is the inclusion of affordable housing within its units.

 

唐人街市议员力推这个项目，包括项目必须带有福利房，确保与唐人街文化有关的小生意不被项目挤走，并成功地迫使开发商在这个项目中划出22个福利房（约占所有单位的10％），为期40年。虽然市政府有权规定土地的用途，但它无权要求开发商在项目里带福利房。通常，开发商可能会主动拿出总单位数的5%作为福利房。

 

The ward councillor organized many working groups to speak out in support of affordable housing and protecting small, culturally relevant businesses throughout the development application stage and successfully secured 22 affordable units (approximately 10% of all units) in this building for a 40 year term. This should have been automatic if the City has a requirement in the Zoning by-laws, but the city does not have the authority to require affordable units in new development. Typically, a developer may voluntarily offer only 5% of all units for affordable housing.

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除了项目带福利房外，市政府还要求开发商保证该项目一楼出租的租金不得高于目前市场租金水平，且目前这块地上的租客可以优先租零售单元，并且禁止把一层出租单元租给连锁店。多伦多市以前从来没有这样的项目开发附加条件，这部分归公于唐人街周围社区的努力。

 

In addition to the on-site affordable housing commitment, the City will limit the leasing costs of the retail units to current rent levels, offer existing retail tenants the right of first refusal to lease the new units, and will not allow chain stores on the site (in perpetuity). These retail conditions have never been imposed by the City of Toronto before and were made possible in part by the community’s strong advocacy.

 

这一项目能够上马取决于多伦多市现有的规章制度，但项目也同时带来了种族歧视的担忧。问题是，项目上马的条件将无法解决这种担忧，包括市府不能强迫规定开发商拿出部分单位做福利房，或与开发商该划出多少福利房而讨价还价。

 

The accomplishments above are a success under the City's current legal and regulatory context, but there are certainly concerns around elements of racism built into the system through which a development is processed, and the inability of the City to secure affordable housing without having to negotiate, or trade off for it.

 

唐人街的市议员期望市府能拿出一个包容性的土地使用政策，以便让市府有权要求开发商在所有新开发项目中划出一定的福利房，而不是通过与开发商讨价还价来确定福利房的数目。他将在下一个市议会上的例会上提出一项动议，补充当前土地开发申请程序中的空白，至少确保开发商用多种语言向周围居民介绍项目，并在施工现场用多种语言介绍项目的用途。

 

The ward councillor wants to put forward an Inclusionary Zoning policy so the City has the power to require developers to create a minimum number of affordable units in all new developments, instead of negotiating incremental changes through the planning process. He will also introduce a motion at an upcoming Council meeting aimed to address gaps in the current development application processes to, at the very least, ensure that notices delivered and posted on site are provided in a variety of languages that reflect the communities living around it and increase accessibility for local residents.

 

该项目应该立即着手做一些事，包括，在介绍项目的通知和会议中提供翻译服务，“定向”给社区中不同文化背景的群体介绍项目。许多人认为，只要采取这些步骤，很多人会支持在保护唐人街特色的同时增加该地区福利房的地产项目。 

 

There are a few near-term steps already identified that can and should be taken, such as: providing translation services in notices and meetings and “targeted outreach” to culturally specific organizations in neighbourhoods. It is felt that with these steps in place, the fight for affordable housing and preserving the character of Chinatown can be won.

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多伦多和唐人街都面临街区高档化和日益严重的住房危机的挑战，立即采取行动扭转这种状况比以往任何时候都迫切。将更多的福利房建在唐人街附近也许是一个正确的选择。

 

We are seeing gentrification and a growing housing crisis across the city and in Chinatown, and the need for action to reverse this is more urgent than ever before. Putting more affordable housing into the Chinatown neighbourhood may be the right thing to do.