Kingston to build nearly 900 houses in 3 years with federal funding

On Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, the City of Kingston and the Government of Canada announced an agreement to fast-track the building of close to 900 homes.

Kingston will receive $27.6 million from the federal government’s Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) over the span of three years, and will aim to build the homes within that time frame. 

Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, said the HAF will help tackle the housing affordability crisis. 

“Today’s announcement will help fast-track nearly 900 homes in the next three years and more than 4,800 over the next decade,” Fraser said.  

“By working with cities, mayors, and all levels of government, we are helping to get more homes built for Canadians at prices they can afford.”

At the announcement, Mayor Bryan Paterson said the funding will allow the City to expand the initiatives it already has underway to rapidly build homes in Kingston.

“This funding will allow the City to scale up many of our housing initiatives, helping to meet the critical need for more housing in our community,” he said.

“I’m grateful for this partnership with the federal government that will enable more affordable housing and infrastructure investments that will help get new housing built faster here in Kingston.”

The funding will help accelerate builds under Kingston’s Action Plan, according to Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), allowing for a more diverse range of housing to be built in the city and encourage initiatives like tiny homes. 

The federal government’s HAF was launched in March 2023 and will invest $4 billion throughout the country to fast-track the building of 100,000 homes through innovative proposals, which cities and regions estimate will lead to the creation of over 450,000 permitted new homes, according to the federal government. Kingston estimates that these 900 homes will help spur the building of more than 4,800 new homes throughout the next decade, a press release from CMHC detailed. 

Through the fund, the federal government is looking to support municipalities that are committed to zoning amendments and rule changes to allow for higher-density builds. 

Kingston will add the funding to the $7.5 million budgeted for housing in the recently approved 2024 budget.

Owen Fullerton is a Kingston-based reporter with the Local Journalism Initiative (LJI). The LJI is funded by the Government of Canada.