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2mo ago

Ontario Adds $1.6B to Housing Infrastructure Program as Minister Signals Changes to Building Faster Fund

The province aims to unlock housing by funding municipal roads, bridges, water infrastructure.

The 300-ton Atlas crane is seen in the Port Lands, in Toronto on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. The crane, undergoing refurbishment, is one of the last remaining of its kind on the Great Lakes and a designated heritage structure.
A new housing development is constructed just outside the edge of the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve, part of Ontario's Greenbelt, on Monday, May 15, 2023, THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Overview

  • Premier Doug Ford and Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma announced the top-up at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference in Ottawa.
  • The new commitment brings the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program to nearly $4 billion across four application streams, including roads and bridges and water and wastewater systems.
  • Housing Minister Rob Flack said he will extend and improve the Building Faster Fund after consulting mayors, with details to follow.
  • Ontario started construction on 94,753 units in 2024, falling short of the 125,000 interim target tied to the 1.5 million homes by 2031 goal.
  • CMHC reported the national pace of housing starts rose 4% year over year in July, while Ontario recorded a 28% decline.