Kitchener exceeds housing target

City is in line for funding after province adds in previously untracked units such as basement suites

Ontario is aiming to add 1.5 million homes by 2031 to move past a housing crisis that has escalated rents and costs and contributes to homelessness

Ontario says this region has met its annual housing target after the province changed how it measures progress.

A revised tally puts Kitchener 39 per cent above its 2023 target by adding 802 units the province did not previously track, such as basement or garden suites and new or upgraded beds in nursing homes.

Between last October and January, the province limited its measure of progress to housing starts, which counts when a foundation is poured for a new home.

Together, three cities in the region exceeded a collective 2023 housing target by two per cent, the province says. That’s based on 5,257 units that were started or added.

By exceeding its target, Kitchener is in line to receive millions in provincial funding to help it add homes faster. That’s from a three-year fund of $1.2 billion.

Cambridge and Waterloo achieved 75 per cent and 54 per cent of their housing targets, respectively, putting them in line to be denied funding. The province says it will not fund cities that do not meet 80 per cent of their targets.

Ontario is aiming to add 1.5 million homes by 2031 to move past a housing crisis that has escalated rents and costs and contributes to homelessness. Three local cities have signed on by pledging to add a total of 70,000 homes over 10 years.

Local mayors joined other Ontario mayors to complain recently to the province that sticking to housing starts is a poor way to measure progress. Complaints came after most cities saw they were on track to be denied provincial funding.

By changing how it measures progress, the province has put 26 of 50 municipalities in line to share $400 million in annual funding, with 24 municipalities in line for nothing. By the previous count, 19 municipalities were in line for funding with 31 in line for nothing.

On Thursday the government began rolling out funding. Premier Doug Ford announced $114 million

Kitchener appears in line to receive almost $13 million based on provincial funding rules and amounts provided to other cities

for Toronto for exceeding its housing target, and on Friday announced almost $26 million for Brampton for achieving 85 per cent of its target. Funding for other cities will be rolled out in the coming weeks, the province said.

The province would not confirm Kitchener’s funding amount Friday. Kitchener appears in line to receive almost $13 million based on provincial funding rules and amounts provided to other cities.

After changing how it measures progress, the government says Ontario achieved 99 per cent of its housing target last year. The province hit 81 per cent of its target when the count was limited to housing starts tracked by Canada Mortgage and Housing.

The province says three cities in this region added 10,195 units in 2022 and 2023. That’s 27 per cent below the annual pace needed to add 70,000 homes.