Housing Action Plan

Housing Action Plan


On October 17, 2016, Council unanimously endorsed the Housing Action Plan, following a year-long process with multiple engagement activities and opportunities for feedback.

The Housing Action Plan establishes strategies and actions to address the housing needs of City residents. These needs vary, depending if you're a renter, owner, student, young family, empty nester, senior, and everything in between. The Housing Action Plan is focused on 'action' and how the City can help create different types of housing, as well as more affordable housing.

Housing Action Plan at a Glance

The Housing Action Plan identifies 6 goals, 11 "big moves", and over 30 specific actions for implementation.

The 11 "big move" strategies are as follows:

  1. Shovel-Ready Projects
  2. Maximize the Affordable Housing Reserve Fund
  3. Mid-Market Rental Units
  4. Family-Friendly Housing
  5. Diversity of Rental Suites
  6. Attainable Homeownership
  7. Non-Profit Housing Regeneration
  8. Visibility in Ground-Oriented Housing
  9. Zero Parking Residential Buildings
  10. Partnerships
  11. Advocacy

Groups with the Greatest Housing Challenges

Rapidly rising housing costs have placed pressures on all households in the City. In response, the Housing Action Plan focuses on the entire housing continuum from homelessness to homeownership. Certain groups in the City have been identified as experiencing significant challenges in finding affordable and suitable housing in the City, including:

Groups with Greatest Housing Challenges 

Housing Action Plan Process

In preparation for the Housing Action Plan, a Housing Profile was created to understand gaps in the City’s current housing stock and to determine emerging housing needs and trends in the future. Based on this analysis, the primary housing gaps identified were: 

  • Family-friendly rental housing (i.e. 3+ bedrooms);
  • Affordable rental housing and non-market housing located in close proximity to transit corridors / Frequent Transit Networks;
  • Seniors-oriented and age-friendly housing, including adaptable/accessible units; and,
  • Supportive housing for persons experiencing homelessness, at-risk of homelessness, and persons transitioning from a shelter to permanent affordable housing.

For more information see Info Report and Housing Profile.

Considering the primary housing gaps in the City, potential policies were explored and summarized in a Housing Policy Alternatives Research Report prepared by CitySpaces Consulting Ltd. While this document responds directly to the housing gaps identified in the City, some ideas may not be applicable or appropriate for the City due to local context, feasibility, regulatory framework, or other implementation limitations.

A refined list of policy ideas that may have lower barriers to implementation in the short term in the City have been provided in a brochure-format for easy reading. See Policy Alternatives For The Housing Action Plan for more information.

Following this work, a draft Housing Action Plan was produced. The draft Plan identified housing issues such as the need for family-friendly housing, senior/age-friendly housing, affordable rental housing, transition homes, as well as aging social housing infrastructure. Feedback on the draft policies and actions proposed in the Draft Housing Action Plan were sought through an online survey and information boards at City Hall, before finalizing the Housing Action Plan.

Housing Action Plan Report Card

The Housing Action Plan Report Card assessed the City's housing actions during the first year of implementation. View the Housing Action Plan Report Card (2016-2017).

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