St. Catharines is celebrating a housing boom.
The city says 2025 was a record year for building permits, with increased housing starts.
The city issued permits for 1,025 new dwelling units during year two of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) Action Plan.
The City supported 1,001 of the new dwelling units with $4.5 million in the plan’s financial incentives, including about 900 purpose-built rental units and 43 affordable housing units.
Grants supporting accessory dwelling units also remained popular in 2025 with 44 new units approved for incentives.
“The City’s Housing Accelerator Fund program is working and driving measurable increases in housing supply,” says Mayor Mat Siscoe. The City of St. Catharines is proud to be a Housing Accelerator Fund recipient and grateful for the Government of Canada’s support for our ambitious approach to addressing housing challenges in our community”
In January 2024, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation announced it was investing $25.7 million over four years in the City’s plan to boost housing supply in St. Catharines through the Government of Canada’s Housing Accelerator Fund.
The federal program provides financial support to municipal governments to expedite development of new homes.
The City is awaiting confirmation from the CMHC if it will receive $6.4 million in year-three funding for 2026.
Image credit: The City of St. Catharines
Story credit: Bonnie Heslop
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