Affordable and Attainable Housing

Housing affordability, particularly in rural areas, continues to remain a strong focus within Southwestern Ontario. Given the current housing and rental market, it is crucial to focus on increasing the supply of affordable housing, of all forms, so that all residents regardless of income level have a safe place to call home.

This is particularly true in rural areas and is a growing and worrisome trend as the pandemic has continued to evolve, driving more residents away from urban areas and into rural communities.

Homelessness is also a growing issue in rural areas across Southwestern Ontario and requires a solution from a municipal-provincial-federal perspective.

As confirmed by the Workforce Strategy, the Western Ontario region requires 173,000 new housing units by 2041. The WOWC’s strategy for attainable housing consists of five primary areas: model policies, developer interactions, a resource centre, rental programs, and overall program promotion/marketing.

NEW HOUSING
UNITS REQUIRED
BY 2041

Drywaller at work