Housing Affordability Strategy will guide the City’s actions to improve housing affordability over the next decade

Guelph, Ont., December 11, 2024 – Yesterday, City Council approved a new strategy to increase homes that are affordable in Guelph over the next decade.

The Housing Affordability Strategy outlines 30 actions the City can take to improve housing affordability and monitor progress over time.

“We know there is a housing crisis happening across Canada, including here in Guelph,” said Tara Baker, Chief Administrative Officer of the City of Guelph. “Our Housing Affordability Strategy is one part of helping address this crisis. By working with others to bring more affordable homes to Guelph, we can help residents access housing that meets their needs.”

The City of Guelph is expected to grow to 208,000 people and 116,000 jobs by 2051. To support this growth, Guelph will need 29,200 more homes for rent or ownership, of which 8,700 units will need to be affordable. Creating new affordable housing is a team effort. The City is working with all levels of government, developers and homebuilders, community agencies, and residents to improve housing affordability and make more homes available in Guelph

The Housing Affordability Strategy is a key part of meeting these housing targets. The strategy sets out steps to bring more affordable units to the city, including:

• Lowering the cost of building affordable homes through incentive programs or exemptions to development charges or parkland dedications
• Approving a new permit system that would allow trade offs — such as constructing taller buildings — in exchange for adding more affordable units to a new building
• Creating and promoting flexible development policies, such as relaxed parking requirements for new affordable housing builds
• Investing in essential infrastructure — such as roads, water and wastewater services — in key areas to allow for more housing development

The Housing Affordability Strategy is one of eight commitments included in the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) action plan to fast track the creation of new homes. On December 10, City Council also approved the Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw amendment to allow up to four units on a property — another commitment in the HAF action plan. This represents significant progress on the HAF action plan and the City’s work to reduce housing barriers and improve housing supply.

To read the strategy and learn more about the City’s work on housing, visit guelph.ca.

Resources

• Housing Affordability Strategy – Council documents
• Housing Affordability Strategy – Have Your Say page
• Housing Accelerator Fund – Have Your Say page
• News release: Residents can now build up to four housing units on a property in Guelph
• Housing in Guelph

Media Contact

Rachel Gardner-Ursel
Advisor, Strategic Communications
Strategic Communications and Community Engagement
City of Guelph
519-766-2671
[email protected]