Email icon Back to Search

Last night, 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.  

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, which was recently acknowledged by the Premier and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, has helped to streamline and improve the development process. 

“Tackling the housing crisis locally means everyone needs to work together – building on our proven barn-raising approach that includes all orders of government, the private sector, not-for-profit, educational institutions, and most importantly, all Kitchener residents to help build a stronger Kitchener and a stronger Ontario,” said Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. “Although the Province’s housing forecasts for municipalities are ambitious, Kitchener is well-positioned to meet these targets thanks to the proactive work we have done and our strong collaboration with partners.” 

A recent Environics survey and community feedback through our strategic plan process has demonstrated that housing is a top priority for Kitchener residents. Kitchener’s vibrant community, fueled by immigration and economic growth, will continue to welcome new people in all neighbourhoods in a variety of housing forms as we grow and change. 

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 

The Province required certain municipalities to submit housing pledges to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. The ministry intends to use the pledges to monitor and track municipalities’ progress as part of their commitment under Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022. 

Read Kitchener’s housing pledge. 

 

For more information, contact: 
Shawn Falcao 
Manager, Corporate Communications 
shawn.falcao@kitchener.ca