BULLETIN
NEW AFFORDABLE AND SUPPORTIVE HOUSING COMING TO GUELPH
April 09, 2026
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and HousingGuelph, Ontario – Solving Canada’s housing crisis requires immediate action to
bring down costs. To provide Canadians with increased access to affordable and
sustainable housing, the Government of Canada and the Ontario government are
working together to help deliver two new housing projects in Guelph.
Welcome 2 Waterloo by Wyndham House, located at 107 – 109 Waterloo Avenue, will
deliver 10 supportive housing units and three transitional housing units to
at-risk youth once complete in October 2026. Each of the three floors will be
fully equipped suites that include a modern, updated kitchen, bathroom, spacious
bedrooms, laundry and a living room. Wrap-around supports, including case
management, skills development, healthcare, recreational programming, and
community initiatives, will be provided to position youth for greater life
stability and success. The federal and provincial governments are supporting the
project through over $1.75 million in joint funding.
In addition, the Government of Canada is contributing over $2 million to the
project through the Affordable Housing Fund. This funding is provided through
low-interest and/or forgivable loans or contributions to partnered organizations
for new affordable housing and the renovation and repair of existing, affordable
and community housing.
The 23 Gordon Street project, by Stepping Stone, will include a total of
24 emergency shelter beds and 12 transitional housing units once fully complete.
The emergency shelter beds, which opened in February 2026, help meet urgent
housing needs, while the transitional housing program launching later this month
will allow individuals to continue to receive support as they transition from
the shelter system into stable, long-term housing. Joint federal-provincial
funding of over $1.16 million is being used to support the creation of the new
transitional units, with the Ontario government contributing an additional
$2.77 million through their Homelessness Prevention program to support the
delivery of both the transitional units and the emergency shelter beds. This
follows an investment of approximately $2.63 million through the federal
Affordable Housing Fund, which was announced in November 2024.
The announcement was made by Dominique O’Rourke, Member of Parliament for
Guelph, on behalf of the Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and
Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada,
and Matthew Rae, Parliamentary Assistant to the Honourable Rob Flack, Ontario’s
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, alongside Chris White, Wellington
County Warden, and Cam Guthrie, Mayor of Guelph.
Central to this work, the Government of Canada has launched Build Canada Homes,
which is helping increase the pace of affordable homebuilding. Build Canada
Homes is also helping fight homelessness by building transitional and supportive
housing — working with provinces, territories, municipalities, and Indigenous
communities. It is building deeply affordable and community housing for
low-income households and partnering with private market developers to build
affordable homes for the Canadian middle class. As part of the Government of
Canada’s broader efforts to respond to the housing crisis, investments are being
made across the housing continuum to meet the needs of communities across
Canada.
The Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario recently signed the
Canada-Ontario Partnership to Build in support of shared goals, including
building more affordable homes, infrastructure, and transit. Under this new
partnership, the federal government and Ontario will cost-match a total of $8.8
billion over 10 years, focused on housing-enabling infrastructure projects. This
marks the federal government’s first partnership through the Build Communities
Strong Fund.
QUICK FACTS
* The National Housing Strategy (NHS) is a 10+ year, $115+ billion plan to give
more Canadians a place to call home. Progress on programs and initiatives are
updated quarterly on the Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
(HICC) website
.
The Housing and Infrastructure Project Map
shows affordable housing projects that have been developed.
* As of December 2025, the federal government has committed $76.13 billion to
support the creation of over 195,800 units and the repair of over
359,400 units. These measures prioritize those in greatest need, including
seniors, Indigenous Peoples, people experiencing or at risk of
homelessness, and women and children fleeing violence.
* NHS is built on strong partnerships between the federal, provincial, and
territorial governments, and continuous engagement with others, including
municipalities, Indigenous governments and organizations, and the social
and private housing sectors. This includes consultations with Canadians
from all walks of life, and people with lived experience of housing need.
* The Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI) is a funding initiative
under the CMHC-Ontario Bilateral Agreement. This 10-year agreement provides
more than $378 million in federal and provincial OPHI funding to help
protect, renew and expand community housing.
* The Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI) is a funding
initiative under the Canada-Ontario Bilateral Agreement. The funding helps
repair, regenerate and expand community housing, as well as provide rental
assistance to those living in social and affordable housing. It can also be
used to support community housing providers whose original program
arrangements are expiring.
* The Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) provided funding through low-interest
and/or forgivable loans or contributions to partnered organizations for new
affordable housing and the renovation and repair of existing, affordable and
community housing. This was a $16.1 billion program under the National
Housing Strategy (NHS) that gave priority to projects that help people who
need it most, including women and children fleeing family violence, seniors,
Indigenous Peoples, people living with disabilities, those with mental health
or addiction issues, Veterans, and young adults. The application portal for
AHF is now closed as all funding has been committed.
* As of December 2025, the Government of Canada has committed $14.44 billion
to support the creation of over 56,900 units and the repair of over
174,700 units through the Affordable Housing Fund.
* On September 19, 2025, the Government of Canada announced $1.5 billion
top-up in loans for the AHF’s New Construction Stream, to support the
creation of over 5,000 new units starting in 2025-26. Additionally, the
AHF’s Rapid Housing Sub-Stream will be accelerated, by pulling $385 million
in funding from future years.
* The Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP) is a provincially funded program
that provides affordable housing and support services for people experiencing
or at-risk of homelessness.
* In 2025-26, $654 million was allocated through the Homelessness Prevention
Program (HPP).
* Under the program, local Service Managers are given the flexibility to
determine how to use the funding for programs and services that address and
prevent homelessness in their communities.
* Funding provided for the Welcome 2 Waterloo Project (107-109 Waterloo Avenue)
is as follows:
* $1,134,500 from the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI) and
$620,714 from the Canada–Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI) for
the construction of 10 supportive housing units.
* $2,076,894 from the federal government, through the Affordable Housing
Fund
* Funding provided for Stepping Stone’s 23 Gordon Street Project is as follows:
* $1,166,200 from the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI) for the
construction of 4 transitional housing units.
* $2,774,800 from the provincial government, through the Homelessness
Prevention Program (HPP) for the construction of the 8 remaining
transitional housing units and 24 emergency shelter beds.
* $2,627,200 from the federal government through the Affordable Housing Fund
previously announced in November 2024
QUOTES
“Our Government is committed to providing communities the support they need to
build capacity to develop local solutions to homelessness. Access to adequate,
affordable housing is the foundation for socio-economic success. It supports
better education and health outcomes, better employment prospects and better
community engagement and cohesion, not to mention economic growth and financial
security.”
– The Honourable Gregor Robertson
Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific
Economic Development Canada
“Our Government is investing in affordable and supportive housing to address
homelessness and improve quality of life for those who need it most. By
expanding access to safe, stable housing and essential supports, we are helping
individuals, particularly young people at risk, to move out of homelessness and
toward long-term stability. I am proud to support those initiatives that not
only provides housing, but also builds stronger, more inclusive, and resilient
communities for generations to come. Congratulations to Wyndham House for their
continued work and dedication to ending chronic youth homelessness in Guelph.”
– Dominique O’Rourke
Member of Parliament for Guelph
“Ontario continues to explore every opportunity with our federal and municipal
partners to protect the people of our province and ensure communities have the
tools they need to deliver meaningful housing solutions. Not only will these
projects provide new housing units to those who need them, they will also help
to equip residents with the supports they need to rebuild their lives and thrive
within their communities.”
– The Honourable Rob Flack
Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
“Our government believes that every person in Ontario deserves access to safe,
secure, and affordable housing. By continuing to work with our partners, I am
confident that the strategic investments we are making today will go far in
protecting and strengthening the local community in Guelph.”
– Matthew Rae
Parliamentary Assistant to Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
“On behalf of the County of Wellington, I would like to thank the Governments of
Ontario and Canada for their generous investments supporting our community’s
response to homelessness. The $1.7 million contribution to the Welcome to
Waterloo project, alongside the $3.9 million joint investment in the expansion
at 23 Gordon Street, reflects a strong commitment to improving housing stability
in Guelph. The February opening of the 23 Gordon Street expansion added 24 new
shelter beds and 12 transitional housing units, while Welcome to Waterloo, which
supports youth experiencing homelessness, will provide 10 supportive and
3 transitional housing units for youth, strengthening the continuum of care for
individuals experiencing homelessness. Together, these sites play a critical
role in supporting the health and well being of people in need in our
community.”
– Chris White
Wellington County Warden
“These strategic investments from our federal and provincial partners are a
vital step forward in strengthening Guelph’s housing stability and support
systems. By working together, we are ensuring that our most vulnerable residents
have access to the safe and secure housing they deserve within our community
that supports their urgent needs.”
– Cam Guthrie
Mayor of Guelph
“The renovated and expanded building at 23 Gordon is a community asset that will
benefit Guelph-Wellington’s efforts to end chronic homelessness” says Stepping
Stone Executive Director Perrin Valli. “The space has been designed to be
adaptable as needs change over the decades to come. We are grateful to the
Government of Ontario for their support of this project.”
– Perrin Valli
Executive Director of Stepping Stone
“We are deeply grateful to the Province of Ontario for this investment through
the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHIM) and the Canada-Ontario
Community Housing Initiative (COCHI), which reflects a strong commitment to
expanding much-needed housing in our community. This capital funding will enable
the creation of 10 new supportive housing beds and 3 transitional units through
the Welcome 2 Waterloo project—an important step forward in our community’s
shared commitment to ending youth homelessness.”
– Kristen Cairney
Executive Director of Wyndham House
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
* Visit canada.ca/housing
for the most-requested Government of Canada housing information.
* Build Canada Homes is ready to partner with organizations committed to
increasing the supply of affordable housing across Canada. Learn more
about the portal and the Investment Policy Framework.
* CMHC plays a critical role as a national convenor to promote stability and
sustainability in Canada’s housing finance system. CMHC’s mortgage insurance
products support access to home ownership and the creation and maintenance of
rental supply. CMHC research and data help inform housing policy. By
facilitating cooperation between all levels of government, private and
non-profit sectors, CMHC contributes to advancing housing affordability,
equity, and climate compatibility. CMHC actively supports the Government of
Canada in delivering on its commitment to make housing more affordable.
Follow CMHC on X
,
LinkedIn
,
Facebook
,
Instagram
and YouTube
.
* The recently introduced Building Homes and Improving Transportation
Infrastructure Act, 2026
,
builds on the Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025
,
which helps speed up the construction of new homes and infrastructure by
streamlining development processes, modernizing planning rules, and reducing
costs, in partnership with municipalities.
* For more information on affordable housing in Ontario, visit
ontario.ca/affordablehousing
or follow us on X
.
