Back to SearchToday, City of Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic joined the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, alongside Valerie Bradford, MP for Kitchener South-Hespeler, Tim Louis, MP for Kitchener Conestoga, the Hon. Bardish Chagger, MP for Waterloo, and members of Kitchener City Council to announce a partnership to fast-track the construction of 1,216 new homes in Kitchener by early 2027. Through the Housing Accelerator Fund, the Federal government will provide $42.4 million to the City of Kitchener to support this ambitious housing initiative. These dollars will enable the City to develop new programs and initiatives to accelerate housing starts.
This partnership between the City of Kitchener and the Government of Canada will address housing affordability and the increasing demand for housing in our community. This investment will encourage innovative and efficient development practices and provide a significant boost to the housing supply in Kitchener.
Earlier this year, Kitchener City Council announced its Provincial Municipal Housing Pledge, with a goal of building 35,000 new homes by 2031. Kitchener has a long-standing history of managing growth and enabling housing supply through the City’s Official Plan and forward-thinking zoning rules. The City’s 2019 Development Services Review has helped to streamline and improve the development process. In 2020, Kitchener released its award-winning Housing For All strategy to increase affordable housing options across the housing continuum. More recently, Council approved Mayor Berry Vrbanovic’s motion to develop a bylaw amendment to allow four units as-of-right on all residential lots in Kitchener.
About the Housing Accelerator Fund
The Housing Accelerator Fund helps cut red tape and fast-track at least 100,000 new homes for people in towns, cities, and Indigenous communities across Canada. It asks for innovative action plans from local governments, and once approved, provides upfront funding to ensure the timely building of new homes, as well as additional funds upon delivering results. Local governments are encouraged to think big and be bold in their approaches, which could include accelerating project timelines, allowing increased housing density, and encouraging affordable housing units.
About Kitchener's Housing For All Strategy
Housing For All is Kitchener’s comprehensive strategy to realize the right to housing and help make housing affordable using the tools and resources available to a local municipality. In late 2020, this award-winning affordable housing strategy was officially launched and outlined several co-development solutions to increase affordable housing options across the local housing continuum. The five-year strategy outlines seven key priorities and over 40 actions. Housing For All was developed in collaboration an advisory committee consisting of those with lived experience, community partners, post-secondary institutions, the Region of Waterloo, affordable housing service providers, and the development industry.
About Kitchener’s Municipal Housing Pledge
In March 2023, Kitchener Council unanimously approved a housing pledge that will support the building of 35,000 additional homes in Kitchener by 2031. The pledge is a commitment to advance progress on a variety of strategies and actions that will support the building of new homes. This pledge demonstrates the City’s commitment to unlocking more housing, streamlining development approvals, removal of barriers, and accelerated planning in support of the province’s housing target.
Quotes
“Tackling the housing crisis in Kitchener means everyone needs to work together, including all orders of government, the private sector, not-for-profit, educational institutions, and most importantly, Kitchener residents, to help build a stronger Kitchener, a stronger Ontario and a stronger Canada,” said Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. “Kitchener is committed to being part of the solution to the housing crisis, and we are well-positioned to meet our housing targets thanks to the proactive work we have done and our strong collaboration with partners. We are incredibly thankful for the Government of Canada’s continued partnership and investment in our community, including today’s announcement of $42.4 million through the Housing Accelerator Fund with a goal of creating 1,216 additional homes by 2027.”
- Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor, City of Kitchener
“This investment by the Government of Canada is a game-changer for Kitchener and its residents. By working in partnership with the federal government, we’ll be able to fast-track the construction of much-needed homes in our growing community. This investment will address a variety of housing challenges and make Kitchener an even better place to call home.”
- Paul Singh, Chair, Planning and Strategic Initiatives Committee, Ward 6 Councillor
“Today’s announcement will help fast track over 1,200 homes in the next three years and over 37,500 homes over the next decade in Kitchener. By working with cities, mayors, and all levels of government we are helping to get more homes built for Canadians at prices they can afford.”
- The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
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The City of Kitchener is a fast-growing city about one hour west-southwest of Toronto with a population of more than 270,000 people. Our diverse and vibrant city is home to top education institutions, a vibrant arts and entertainment scene and a leading-edge technology sector. Kitchener is the largest city in Waterloo Region, the anchor of Canada’s Innovation Corridor, with a startup ecosystem second only to Silicon Valley. Kitchener is an innovative, caring and vibrant city. We have a proud history of community-building – inspiring and supporting people to work together to create a city that feels like home for everyone.
MEDIA CONTACT
Shawn Falcao
Manager, Corporate Communications
City of Kitchener
shawn.falcao@kitchener.ca
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