Kitchener secures additional $4.2M in federal housing funds

MP for Kitchener-Conestoga Tim Louis, Mayor of Kitchener Berry Vrbanovic, and MP for Kitchener South – Hespeler Valerie Bradford stand together on Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Courtesy: City of Kitchener)

The City of Kitchener has received an additional $4.2 million in federal funding through the Housing Accelerator Fund, building on the initial $42.4 million investment from the federal government.

The city says this boost aims to further address the housing crisis by accelerating development and expanding affordable housing options.

“Tackling the housing crisis and making sure we have housing options for everyone in Kitchener requires community and government partners to come together in the spirit of collaboration and innovation,” a statement from Mayor Berry Vrbanovic read in part. “We are getting more housing of all types built here in Kitchener and advancing our shared priorities that are part of both Canada’s National Housing Strategy and Kitchener’s Housing for All strategy.”

According to city officials, Kitchener has already exceeded its first-year housing targets under the Housing Accelerator Fund, making it eligible for this additional investment.

The new funds will support a Community Improvement Plan focused on incentivizing diverse housing types, including “missing middle” housing.

The initial $42.4 million funding has helped Kitchener:

• Develop a highly flexible planning framework around major transit station areas.
• Implement as-of-right zoning for four-unit housing across the city.
• Unlock land and provide grants for non-profit affordable housing projects.

Over the past year, Kitchener has seen a 70 per cent surge in building permits for triplexes, fourplexes, and backyard accessory dwelling units (ADUs), according to the city.

With the new funding, the city aims to continue this momentum by “accelerating policies and incentives for these types of housing.”