Helping build more homes, faster in Mississauga

Mississauga, Ontario, December 18, 2023

With federal funding, and federal leadership we are changing how cities let housing get built in their municipalities. With a greater focus on higher density housing, student housing, homes near transit and affordable housing we are going to get more homes built for Canadians at prices they can afford.

Today, the Government of Canada and the City of Mississauga announced that they reached an agreement to fast track over 3,000 housing units over the next three years. This work will help spur the construction of more than 35,200 homes over the next decade.

The agreement, under the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) will provide nearly $113 million to eliminate barriers to building the housing we need, faster. Mississauga’s Action Plan commits to eight local initiatives that enable a variety of housing forms and densities to meet the diverse needs of the community. The initiatives will:

support programs for affordable housing
expand permissions to streamline the creation of missing middle housing in existing residential neighbourhoods
accelerate approval turnaround times, and
contribute to the comprehensive review of land in the city to unlock additional transformational density.

HAF is helping cut red tape and fast track at least 100,000 permitted new homes over the first three years which cities and regions estimate will lead to the creation of over 250,000 permitted new homes for people in towns, cities, and Indigenous communities across Canada. It asks for innovative action plans from local governments, and once approved, provides upfront funding to ensure the timely building of new homes, as well as additional funds upon delivering results. Local governments are encouraged to think big and be bold in their approaches, which could include accelerating project timelines, allowing increased housing density, and encouraging affordable housing units.

The Government of Canada is making life more affordable for Canadians — and housing is key to our work. We will continue to work with provincial, territorial, and municipal governments, as well as Indigenous partners, to keep building more homes for Canadians, faster.

Quotes:

“Today’s announcement will help fast track over 3,000 homes in the next three years and over 35,200 homes over the next decade. 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.”
— The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

“By building more affordable homes more quickly, our government is unlocking new opportunities for growth in Mississauga. Today’s announcement is great news for families in Mississauga, and it will build thousands of new homes that those in our community can call home at prices they can afford. Working together with municipalities, our Government is building more homes, faster, for communities from coast to coast to coast.”
— The Honourable Rechie Valdez, Minister of Small Business, Member of Parliament for Mississauga – Streetsville

“Everyone deserves a safe, affordable place to call home and our National Housing Strategy is helping build more homes, faster. This investment will support healthy communities and ensure more Mississauga families have an opportunity to pursue their dreams and create brighter futures.”
— Charles Sousa, Member of Parliament for Mississauga – Lakeshore

“Safe and reliable housing is a human right. This why we have worked alongside the City of Mississauga to build homes for families, to help seniors who are being displaced, and provide shelter for women and their children. We remain focused on fast-tracking the creation of 100,000 additional homes across the country, and I look forward to seeing other cities and towns join us in this effort.”
— The Honourable Omar Alghabra, Member of Parliament for Mississauga Centre

“We need to get more homes built, faster. Our federal government is leading the charge by working directly with municipalities like Mississauga that are serious about taking on this challenge. Our partnership today will help ensure more residents in our community have a safe, affordable, and livable place to call home.”
— Iqra Khalid, Member of Parliament for Mississauga – Erin Mills

The only way for us to overcome the housing crisis is by tackling it together. I am proud to see Mississauga and the federal government uniting to make a real difference within our community by ensuring that more affordable homes are built faster.”
— Iqwinder Gaheer, Member of Parliament for Mississauga – Malton

“Today is a great day for our city of Mississauga, thanks to the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF), we will soon see more affordable housing opportunities unlocked for our community. This investment reiterates the value of working with local levels of government to eliminate barriers to building the affordable homes we need, faster.”
— Peter Fonseca, Member of Parliament for Mississauga East – Cooksvill

“This direct funding will help cities like Mississauga who are on the front-lines of the housing crisis fast track the building of new homes. Given the severity and the complexity of this crisis, we need to be bold, work quickly and use every tool available to us. This also means ensuring we are innovative and are building the right mix of housing, including the ‘missing middle’ in our neighbourhoods. We are grateful to the federal government for their confidence in our housing plan and their commitment to ensuring that everyone who wants to call Mississauga home can afford to do so.”
— Bonnie Crombie, Mayor of Mississauga

Quick facts:

Today’s announcement was made by the Honourable Rechie Valdez, Minister of Small Business and Member of Parliament for Mississauga – Streetsville on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities; Charles Sousa, Member of Parliament for Mississauga – Lakeshore; the Honourable Omar Alghabra, Member of Parliament for Mississauga Centre; Iqra Khalid, Member of Parliament for Mississauga – Erin Mills; Peter Fonseca, Member of Parliament for Mississauga East – Cooksville; Iqwinder Gaheer, Member of Parliament for Mississauga – Malton; Bonnie Crombie, Mayor for the City of Mississauga.
The City of Mississauga’s Action Plan has an emphasis on supporting affordable housing and is comprised of a mixture of short-term and long-term initiatives that takes into consideration the regions increasing housing demand and the need for a transformational change in density.
Launched in March 2023, the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) is a $4 billion initiative from the Government of Canada that will run until 2026 – 27.
The Housing Accelerator Fund is part of Canada’s National Housing Strategy (NHS), an $82+ billion plan to give more Canadians a place to call home. Progress on programs and initiatives are updated quarterly at www.placetocallhome.ca. The Housing Funding Initiatives Map shows affordable housing projects that have been developed.
Since the creation of the NHS, the Government of Canada has committed over $38.89 billion to support the creation of over 151,803 units and the repair of over 241,133 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.