The City of St. Catharines is moving forward with a housing action plan to address affordable housing needs in the city.

On June 12 Council received a detailed report with 41 potential policy tools and actions the City can use to support affordable housing. The report comes after Mayor Sendzik made a commitment to address housing needs at his state of the city address in January and Council supported the need for a comprehensive report and action plan.

“Housing is one of the most pressing issues facing our city and it is critical that Council take a leadership role and do our part to support more quality, affordable housing,” said Mayor Sendzik. “As other cities are dealing with the same challenges, we know this will take leadership and a long-term commitment from Council and stakeholders. I look forward to working together with Council and the community to move forward on the priority items and continue to look at creative and innovative housing options for our city.”

The staff report is the first step in the creation of a Housing Action Plan for St. Catharines. Potential policy tools and options range from official plan amendments and zoning changes to development charges, expedited development applications and grants through the community improvement plan (CIP).

As outlined in the report, the next steps will include forming a working group to review the 41 action items and continue stakeholder consultations. Staff will report back to Council in the fall on policy amendments and new procedures to support the creation of more affordable housing in the city.

The housing action plan report is available for review and comment at www.stcatharines.ca/HousingPlan. Comments should be submitted tohousing@stcatharines.ca.

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Mayor Walter Sendzik
905-688-5601 ext. 1540 (office)
mayor@stcatharines.ca

Margaret Josipovic, Planner
905-688-5600 ext. 1723
mjosipovic@stcatharines.ca