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2h ago

Ontario Boosts Municipal Housing Infrastructure Fund by $1.6 Billion, Nearing $4 Billion

The province seeks to speed homebuilding by funding local infrastructure after housing starts fell well short of its 2031 pace.

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 a $1.6 billion top-up to the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program at the AMO conference in Ottawa.
  • The commitment lifts the fund to nearly $4 billion from the $2.3 billion previously announced.
  • Municipalities can apply through four streams that cover core servicing like roads and bridges as well as water and wastewater systems.
  • Ontario’s housing tracker shows 94,753 starts in 2024 versus a 125,000 goal after an eight-month update that added long-term care beds and student dorms to the count.
  • CMHC reports July housing starts rose 4% nationally but fell 28% in Ontario, as municipal leaders welcomed the investment for its job and productivity benefits.