Affordable housing remains one of the biggest priorities for neighbours across Kitchener. Tenant rights are being eroded by the Provincial government, the demand for shelter space outstrips the available supply, and too often, redevelopment causes gentrification and displacement.

Since signing the provincial housing pledge in 2023, Kitchener has approved over 15,000 homes which is 43% of our target. However, only 5,000 have completed their building permit. City approvals are not the bottleneck for housing supply. As the private market for housing has slowed down, we need non-market solutions for affordable housing. According to the National Housing Accord, Canada must double the existing social housing stock to bring the country up to OECD and G7 averages.

Homelessness in Waterloo Region has increased five-fold since 2018. There is a domino effect across the entire continuum of housing options that contributes to this: lack of affordability in the private housing market, insufficient number of supportive housing options, and a lack of emergency shelters all result in a homelessness crisis that is more visible and more complex than ever. Furthermore, the 2021 Census revealed that 19% of homes in Kitchener are below suitability standards, and 10% of households are in core housing need.

Kitchener is pursuing many avenues to protect existing affordability and build new homes: Inclusionary Zoning that will require affordable units in new buildings (despite a forced pause by the Province); a new Zoning Bylaw that will allow more types of homes in more places; incorporating affordable housing into new civic projects such as the new fire station on King St. East; a renovation licensing program; and protections for tenants displaced by demolition. The City has also introduced a Missing Middle and Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan. While other levels of government bear more legal responsibility for housing, Kitchener can be a significant part of the solution by defending and strengthening these programs.

Sam's priorities for housing & homelessness

• Enhance the City’s existing suite of incentives for affordable housing by tying certain benefits to participation in federal programs such as the CMHC’s Affordable Housing Fund.

• Strengthen the City’s renovation licensing and rental replacement by-laws, by expanding eligibility to all housing types and including mechanisms during the building permit process that will uphold the right of a tenant to return to their unit. Introduce a landlord licensing by-law city-wide to ensure proactive compliance with property standards.

• Allow overnight camping in prescribed zones of parks and public land, including sanitation and waste collection support, as part of a region-wide safe tenting zone by-law in collaboration with other area municipalities and the Region.

• Encourage new infill development that increases the range of available unit sizes or accessibility standards in a neighbourhood, so neighbours can find adequate housing at every stage of life without leaving their communities. This includes building on the success of our accessory dwelling unit (ADU) program and continuing to make it easier to build ADUs. Reduce the cost of housing by eliminating parking minimums and allow shared parking agreements to reduce the need for overbuilt parking infrastructure.

• Incorporate affordable housing into all city building projects, such as libraries, fire halls, and community centres. Combine funding sources from housing and non-housing projects to reduce duplication and share land costs. Retain ownership of public land and use a land lease model that doesn’t sell off our long-term public assets. Give first right of refusal for surplus public land to non-profit affordable housing providers, co-op housing, Indigenous housing organizations, and community land trusts.

• Delegate approval authority for certain zoning by-law amendments to Planning staff (such as adjustments to parking and setbacks), in order to depoliticize the process of building new housing. At the same time, pair new growth with new public space investment. When infill development is being built, allow for participatory decision-making by neighbours to guide street redesign, landscaping, amenities, and traffic calming investments associated with new development.

• Explore targeted policies for Downtown Kitchener to reverse the decline in children and young families, including new childcare facilities and 3+ bedroom homes. This could include facilitating office-to-residential conversions.