October 8, 2024

Council held a public meeting to consider the Draft Housing Affordability Strategy which included how affordable housing is defined, data on the City of Guelph's housing needs, and proposed actions to create more affordable housing over the next 10 years. Council voted to receive the report from staff. A staff recommendation report and decision on the final Housing Affordability Strategy is expected in December 2024; this recommendation report will include considerations around feedback and comments received through the public meeting.

The video, staff report, and attachments that provide information and details on the Draft Housing Affordability Strategy, can be viewed here.

April 22, 2024

The City of Guelph is launching a brief survey to better understand the current housing situation in Guelph. Your answers will help us build a strategy to address housing needs of current and future residents. As we develop a new Housing Affordability Strategy, we want to know what actions you think we should take to resolve Guelph's housing gaps.

To take part in the Housing Affordability Strategy Survey, click here.

April 4, 2024

A workshop was held with private and public sector representatives involved in the housing process to inform them on the purpose of the Housing Affordability Strategy, to set the context for the current state of housing in Guelph, and to engage them on actions that the City should pursue to support a diverse range of housing options. This workshop is the first step in putting together a list of draft directions that will inform the recommendations of the Housing Affordability Strategy.

To view the PowerPoint presentation used during the Workshop, please click here.

Stay tuned for further engagement opportunities, including online surveys during Spring 2024 and an Open House in June 2024.

February 16, 2024

In November 2023, work began to explore opportunities to permit 4+ units on low-density residential lots across the City. The first step in this work was to prepare a policy background review and design demonstrations to highlight the potential in existing neighbourhoods. The Background Analysis highlights Guelph’s existing conditions, its policy context, and several examples of gentle density work being done across the country.

To review the Background Analysis, click here.

February 2, 2024

Staff presented the City of Guelph's Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) Action Plan to Council through an information report. The HAF Action Plan consists of eight (8) initiatives that the City has committed to achieving as part of its application. Each initiative must result in the incentivization or stimulation of housing, beyond the City’s annual average, at an accelerated pace and provide a clear path for the approval and building process. In total, the HAF will help the City incentivize the creation of 739 new housing units by 2026.

To read more about the City’s HAF Action Plan and each of the 8 initiatives, read the information report here.

City of Guelph to receive federal funding to help build more homes, faster

Guelph, Ont., January 12, 2024 – Today in Guelph, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the City of Guelph will receive $21.4 million to help increase housing supply through the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF). This fund is a $4 billion initiative from the Government of Canada that provides local governments with funding to fast track the creation of new homes.

The funds will help the City incentivize the creation of 739 new housing units above the City average over the next three years. This work will reduce housing barriers and increase housing in Guelph, while supporting the development of affordable, inclusive, equitable and diverse communities. Read full news release.

UPDATE - RECRUITMENT IS NOW CLOSED. THE FIRST MEETING OF THE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY STRATEGY FOCUS GROUP WILL BE ON MARCH 25, 2024.

The City of Guelph (City) is currently working on updating the 2017 Affordable Housing Strategy.

The general purpose of the 2024 Housing Affordability Strategy (HAS) is to identify short, medium, and long-term actions, policy refinements, tools, and incentives to address private-market housing gaps.

As part of the engagement process, the City is looking for people to join the Housing Affordability Strategy Focus Group (HASFG). The HASFG will be a dedicated forum for individuals to share their thoughts about the Housing Affordability Strategy. Your feedback will supplement the input received through broader consultations. The Housing Affordability Strategy Focus Group is not a decision-making body and will not have the authority to vote, commit City resources, or direct the work of employees.

We are looking for individuals who self-identify as belonging to the following groups:

- Housing support service providers
- Individuals with lived experience
- Not-for-profit housing providers
- Co-operative housing providers
- For-profit housing providers
- Urban-Indigenous housing providers
- LGBTQ2S+
- Real Estate industry professionals
- Post-secondary institutions and student associations
- Residents at large

If you are interested in joining the Housing Affordability Strategy Focus Group (HASFG), please complete the application form. The HASFG will meet approximately four (4) times over the course of 2024. The first meeting is anticipated to be held in March 2024. These meetings will occur bi-monthly, with the exact timing to be determined.

December 12, 2023

In December 2023, the State of Housing in Guelph Report was published. This report is a statistical analysis of the current and emerging housing needs in Guelph, helping to identify the City’s greatest housing needs. The report is the foundation for the recommendations in the 2024 Housing Affordability Strategy.

To begin to address housing affordability in Guelph, the following will need to occur:

• More primary rental units are needed to meet increased demand as housing becomes increasingly unaffordable;
• Smaller units will be needed in Guelph to meet the increased demand as household sizes decrease;
• Additional residential units will be needed to provide more accessible affordable housing options for lower income earners; and,
• More supportive and subsidized housing is needed to meet the needs of lower income earners.

To see the agenda and staff report, visit this link.

October 17, 2023

A special meeting of Council was held to discuss actions and responses to address housing challenges. At that meeting, Council passed a motion directing staff to immediately prepare a zoning by-law amendment that would permit, as-of-right, up to 4 residential units per lot within residential zones in the City. This zoning by-law amendment may address criterion such as servicing capacity to support the proposed units.

To view the agenda and recommendations from this meeting, please click here.

September 12, 2023

In September 2023, staff initiated the new Housing Affordability Strategy for Guelph. Since the release of the 2017 Affordable Housing Strategy (AHS), there have been significant legislative changes to facilitate the provision of housing in Ontario. In response, the City of Guelph is updating this Strategy to identify actions, advocacy and partnership approaches to address private-market housing gaps in the short, medium, and long-term.

To read more, please click here.