Federal funding injects $25.6 million to accelerate home construction in Barrie
The federal government is injecting $25.6 million to fast-track and support the development of thousands of new homes in the City of Barrie.
The funding, through the Canadian government's Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF), aims to eliminate barriers hindering the construction of much-needed housing and get shovels in the ground on more than 4,100 new homes over the next decade.
"We are dedicated to maximizing the impact of every dollar granted to ensure that Barrie residents have access to permanent, attainable, and affordable housing options that align with the pace of our city's rapid growth," said Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall.
The City intends to build 680 new homes over the next three years.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
Barrie's Action Plan outlines nine initiatives designed to streamline the housing development process. These include permitting four units on one lot without the need for rezoning, making city-owned lands available for housing projects, and expanding the City's Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan to include forgivable loans for secondary suites.
The initiative aims to cut through the red tape and expedite the permitting process for at least 100,000 new homes within a span of three years, with the federal government hoping for the creation of over 750,000 permitted new homes nationwide over the next decade.
"The goal here is to make sure that we have housing available for young people, housing available for those in the workforce, housing available for those that are hurting," the mayor added.
However, navigating the complexities of housing development is no easy feat, particularly considering housing falls largely under the jurisdiction of municipal and provincial governments.
"But if we put federal money on the table and say to cities we're going to reach a deal with you where we directly fund you based on the reforms you're going to implement, we've seen an extraordinary uptake in that offer," said Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.
While the Ontario government was notably absent for Thursday's announcement, Premier Doug Ford is scheduled to arrive in Barrie on Friday to make a housing announcement of his own.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Is there a cost to convenience? Canada approves new cancer immunotherapy treatment
A new cancer treatment recently approved in Canada promises to cut treatment time down to just minutes, but experts have differing opinions on whether it's what's best for patients.
Air Canada walks back new seat selection policy change after backlash
Air Canada has paused a new seat selection fee for travellers booked on the lowest fares just days after implementing it.
Canada's new dental program offering hope of free care to millions but many dentists aren't signed up
A new Canadian dental care program is offering the hope of free care to millions, but while 1.7 million people have signed up for the plan, only about 5,000 dentists have done the same.
Province boots mayor and council in small northern Ont. town out of office
An ongoing municipal strike, court battles and revolt by half of council has prompted the province to oust the mayor and council in Black River-Matheson.
King Charles III returns to public duties with a trip to a cancer charity
King Charles III will return to public duties on Tuesday when he visits a cancer treatment charity, beginning his carefully managed comeback after the monarch’s own cancer diagnosis sidelined him for three months.
NDP says Ottawa's new grocery task force isn't living up to government promises
The federal government says the task force it created to monitor and investigate grocery retailers' practices has not conducted any probes and doesn't have a mandate to take enforcement action.
A group of Toronto tenants have been on a rent strike for a year and say there's no resolution in sight
Dozens of tenants in Toronto's Thorncliffe Park area have now been withholding their rent for one year, and it’s unclear when the dispute will end.
U.K. police arrest man wielding a sword in east London, 5 people are taken to the hospital
A man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and two police officers on Tuesday in the east London community of Hainault before being arrested, police said.
Archeologists search for remnants of Halifax's 250-year-old wall that surrounded the city
Archeologist Jonathan Fowler is using ground-penetrating radar to search for historic evidence of the massive wall that surrounded Halifax more than 250 years ago.