People across Ontario are looking for housing that meets their needs. Home prices and rents in many large and mid-sized cities have risen faster than incomes. Lengthy approvals and high costs have slowed down the building of new housing and rentals.

More than 250,000 households in Ontario rely on community housing – our non-profit, cooperative and municipal housing sector – but this housing is facing challenges:

  • many of the buildings are older and need repairs, and there is uncertainty about what the rules will be when the original operating agreements come to an end
  • many people have difficulty accessing the system, and when living in community housing face other challenges
  • rules and regulations for community housing are complicated and inefficient

When individuals have a home, they are healthier and more productive. This benefits not only the individual, but also the province.

Ontario has released two plans to respond to the diverse housing needs of all Ontarians:

  • More Homes, More Choice: Ontario’s Housing Supply Action Plan is about unlocking the development of all kinds of housing, including owned, rental, private or non-profit housing. Ontario’s Housing Supply Action Plan will help give people more choice and help bring costs down.
  • Ontario’s Community Housing Renewal Strategy is about helping people with low and moderate incomes who can’t afford today’s high rents to find affordable housing. It will make the current inefficient system more streamlined, sustainable and ready to help people who need it most. The province is working with municipalities and community housing providers to sustain, repair and grow our community housing system.

The Province’s current supportive housing system is difficult to navigate and doesn’t effectively address individual needs. To make the system more flexible and to meet people’s needs, the government will review ways to streamline and coordinate the Province’s supportive housing programs. This will ensure that the Province provides quality supportive housing, focused on the needs and outcomes of clients, which can also help reduce cost pressures on other social services, such as the health care and justice systems.

Vision: All Ontarians can find a home that meets their needs and their budget