John Fox B.Comm., LL.B.

Bio

As a member of our Commercial Real Estate and Development Group and head of our Affordable and Social Housing Group, John represents clients acquiring, disposing, developing, and financing real estate.

A former development executive, John brings a unique blend of legal and business thinking to his clients. He specializes in the development, financing and construction of social and affordable housing.

John possesses extensive front-line experience gained in his previous positions. As General Counsel, Development and acting Vice President, Development for Toronto Community Housing, he was responsible for the organization's redevelopment mandate, including at Regent Park. In that capacity he dealt with private sector partners and the City of Toronto on joint ventures, construction contracts, and funding agreements. John was also Chief Executive Officer of the Batawa Development Corporation, which is re-developing the former Bata Shoe factory in Batawa, Ontario.

John has unique knowledge and experience in the development of social and affordable housing having been active in the Housing Sector for the past 20 years. Since returning to private practice, he has founded the Robins Appleby Affordable and Social Housing Group. Examples of his work include: representing Habitat for Humanity in negotiating a contribution agreement from a private developer intended to seed a land trust, and setting up the land trust; representing Durham Region Non-Profit Housing Corporation in the acquisition of a site from a private developer, which will be developed as non-profit housing, through a Design Build Contract, financed by CMHC and the Region of Durham; representing the City of Toronto on the incorporation of  80 units of affordable housing into a high end condominium building  on the Waterfront; working with the Region of Peel on the development of its housing plan, and working on behalf of private developers participating in the delivery of affordable housing, including the Weston Artscape project and Canary Landing.

John is active in his community. He is a former chair of the Laidlaw Foundation and the Daily Bread Food Bank, he presently sits on the real estate advisory committees of Dixon Hall in Toronto and Blue Door in York Region and is on the board of Partners for Affordable Housing. In the Summer of 2019, John was part of a Rooftops Canada delegation to Durban, South Africa where he and the Rooftops team provided advice to government officials on the regeneration of housing stock in South Africa.