Region makes Community Housing Supply Grant permanent in 2026

Efforts to increase affordable housing units in York Region will see renewed efforts in the year ahead as the Region of York makes its Community Housing Supply Grant permanent in 2026.

The decision to make the Grant program, which provides capital funding to non-profit and co-operative organizations to create affordable housing through new builds, redevelopments, and conversions of non-residential buildings, was announced Friday by Regional Chair Eric Jolliffe.

Dignitaries gathered at Regional Headquarters on Friday afternoon to announce five projects that successfully applied for grant funding in 2025, representing 536 new units, with 288 units below market rent. These include the Markham Inter-Church Committee of Affordable Housing, Sandgate Women's Shelter of York Region in Georgina, Trinity Coptic Foundation in Newmarket, the Islamic Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamaat of Toronto in Vaughan, and Crescent Village Seniors Housing Corporation in Richmond Hill.

“York Region is committed to building inclusive, sustainable communities by expanding housing options and supporting partners through initiatives like the Community Housing Supply Grant,” said Jolliffe. “Building on the success of this pilot program, York Region will make it permanent in 2026. These efforts are helping create a more resilient future for all residents by providing housing solutions for individuals of all abilities, incomes and life stages.”

Making the Grant program permanent will “ensure sustained support for non-profit and co-operative partners to build more affordable housing across York Region,” noted the Municipality.

Projects funded through the program must include at least 10 new affordable units, or a minimum of five units when an addition is undertaken, with rents at or below 100 per cent of average market rent and remain affordable for a minimum of 20 years.

Eligible applicants must meet specific evaluation criteria set out by the Region, including project details, development and operational qualifications, corporate viability, financial information and plans, project timeline, and development schedule.

“Increasing affordable housing in York Region requires shared commitment, and the Region is leading the way through innovative, locally-driven solutions and strong partnerships,” said Newmarket Mayor John Taylor, who also serves as Chair of the Region's Housing and Homelessness Committee. “We know we can't do this on our own, however, supporting organizations with common goals can help advance these important projects to provide more affordable housing units in all our communities.”

The importance of realizing these units was only underscored by Lisa Gonsalves, the Region's Commissioner of Community and Health Services, who said in 2024, more than 18,000 households were on the Region's waiting list for affordable housing while, in that same year, only 436 households were able to secure housing units.

“Community and Health Services is people serving people. Together, we continue navigating forward with resilience and readiness by investing in safer communities and enabling growth in our communities,” she said. “As we know, safe, secure and affordable housing is essential for everyone and housing remains foundational in these strong and caring communities. We also know that the community housing supply has not kept pace and more people are struggling to find a home they can afford.

“Stable, affordable housing can have health, social, and economic benefits and support people, individuals, families, and entire communities. When people lack safe, affordable housing, pressure grows across the health care system, emergency services, and social support systems, driving overall demand for human services and leading to higher costs over time, including more complex and costly interventions later. This is why investment in community is so critical.

“Affordable housing is one of the greatest challenges facing the Region today. We are committed to building complete communities with a full range of housing options and services to support residents at every stage of life.”

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter