Helping build more homes, faster in Cornwall

Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, February 23, 2024

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 Town of Cornwall announced that they reached an agreement to fast track over 140 homes over the next three years. This work will help spur the construction of more than 500 homes over the next decade.

The agreement under the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF), will provide almost $4.3 million to eliminate barriers to building the housing we need, faster. Cornwall’s Action Plan commits to five local initiatives that enable a variety of housing forms and densities to meet the diverse needs of the community. Planned initiatives include bylaw amendments to allow for accessory dwelling units and multi-unit dwellings, reducing parking space requirements, and increasing maximum building height. Cornwall’s Action Plan also includes adopting a development charge bylaw to reduce the current upfront costs, unpredictability and risk of developing non serviced lands by establishing a clear set of conditions that establish the cost to be borne by the developer when extending municipal services to facilitate development at the outset of the application process.

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 600,000 permitted new homes for people in towns, cities, and Indigenous communities across Canada over the next decade. 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:

“We are excited and proud to announce this partnership with Cornwall today. By including bylaw amendments to allow for accessory dwelling units and multi-unit dwellings in their action plan as well as a reduction of the parking space requirements, the Town will ensure that Cornwall has more of the kind of homes we need to tackle the housing crisis. We will continue working with cities, mayors, and all levels of government, to get more homes built for Canadians at prices they can afford.”
— The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

“Our government is proud to be working with the Town of Cornwall to ensure we are doing our part to fulfill the housing needs in our community, province and across Canada. This funding of almost $4.3 million for housing in Cornwall will accelerate the development of safe and affordable housing to meet the needs of our rapidly growing town where we need it most.”
— Heath MacDonald, Member of Parliament for Malpeque

“The Housing Accelerator Fund allows the Town of Cornwall to encourage future growth and will be beneficial in helping to meet the housing needs of Islanders.”
— Minerva McCourt, Mayor of the Town of Cornwall

Quick facts:

Today’s announcement was made by Heath MacDonald, Member of Parliament for Malpeque on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing Infrastructure and Communities and Minerva McCourt, Mayor of the Town of Cornwall.
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.
As of September 30, 2023, the Government of Canada has committed over $38.89 billion to support the creation of almost 152,000 units and the repair of over 241,000 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.