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Key decisions of Council is a summary of major discussion items presented at Kitchener City Council meetings. It is circulated immediately following each meeting. Please refer to the minutes for an official record of the meeting.  

Kitchener’s housing pledge commits to 35,000 new homes by 2031   

Council 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.  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 also helped to streamline and improve the development process. The City’s housing pledge includes: 

  • Advancing work to update land use and zoning within Major Transit Station Areas 

  • Continuing to implement Kitchener’s Housing for All strategy, including actions that enable an increased housing supply and streamlining development approvals 

  • Collaborating with the Waterloo Region Home Builders Association, Kitchener Development Liaison Committee, and others, to identify labour shortages and costs, material costs, infrastructure timing, economic market conditions, and land supply and housing capacity 

  • Working with post-secondary institutions to respond to evolving workforce needs including building a necessary talent pool 

  • Collaborating with Provincial and Federal governments to develop strategies to increase housing supply capacity including the identification of funding required for infrastructure 

Council advances construction of 616 homes at Sportsworld Drive 

Council approved a zoning amendment, and adopted and forwarded an official plan amendment application to the Region of Waterloo for approval, to permit the construction of 616 new dwelling units in three high-rise towers at King Street East and Sportsworld Drive. The developer plans to first build an eight-storey structure containing 88 units. The second phase of construction would consist of a mixed-use complex including a 30-storey building and an eight-storey tower (combined 528 dwelling units), and ground-floor commercial space within seven commercial units located at-grade and oriented towards King Street East and Sportsworld Drive. Read the report. 

Council approves mid-rise housing in the downtown 

Council approved a zoning by-law amendment, and adopted and forwarded an official plan amendment application to the Region of Waterloo for approval, to permit the construction of a six-storey building containing 64 residential units and 52 parking spaces. The vacant site, on Courtland Avenue East near Benton Street, previously had three vacant houses. Those were demolished after a fire in early 2022. Read the report. 

Council approves funeral home expansion 

Council approved a zoning by-law amendment, and adopted and forwarded an official plan amendment application to the Region of Waterloo for approval, to permit the expansion of Henry Walser Funeral Home at 507 Frederick Street. Two residential buildings are proposed to be demolished at 40 and 44 Becker St. to accommodate the addition and new rear parking lot. In addition, 48 Becker Street was removed from the application and will remain for residential use. Council heard that Henry Walser will work with displaced residents to find alternative accommodations in the immediate neighbourhood in other residential buildings owned by Walser. Read the initial and final staff reports. 

Council receives inclusionary zoning update 

Council received an update on the City’s work with other local municipalities exploring inclusionary zoning.  Inclusionary zoning allows cities to require private developers to include a certain percentage of affordable units within new, multi-unit housing developments. The tool can be applied to areas around ION stations where more and denser housing is planned. Public consultation included online and in-person meetings with potential occupants of inclusionary zoning units; with the for-profit and non-profit housing development industry; and with the community at large. One key finding has been that a modest but meaningful number of affordable units can be secured through inclusionary zoning in the short term with a possibility for future growth. The partners – Kitchener, Cambridge, Waterloo and Waterloo Region – are continuing to work together to develop a consistent policy framework across the three cities. Read the report.