More focus needed on affordable housing in Halton Hills: report
Published August 21, 2023 at 12:29 pm
There were more than 280 new housing units built in Halton Hills in 2022, according to a recent report.
The 2022 State of Housing report, which will be presented to Town Council next week, is a thorough recap of new home building in Halton Hills last year.
According to the report, prepared by Town staff, Halton Hills added 284 new housing units in 2022; including 166 single and semidetached, 109 apartments, and seven townhouses.
In 2022, there were 291 new housing units under construction in Halton Hills, 197 of which were townhouses and apartments.
The average cost of a new build home in Halton Hills was $995,668 in 2022, while the average resale home price was $1,254,160.
The rental vacancy rate in Halton Hills was 2.8 per cent in 2022, up from 0.7 per cent from 2021.
The average monthly rent in Halton Hills was $1,385, the lowest among the four Halton Region municipalities.
Multiple affordable housing projects and initiatives are underway locally, most notably the ongoing redevelopment of 17 Guelph Street in Georgetown
Housing targets set by Halton Region include at least 65 per cent of new housing units produced annually until 2031 be in the form of townhouses or multi-storey (apartment) buildings, and 75 per cent each year after. Also, at least 30 per cent of new housing units produced annually to be affordable or assisted housing.
In 2022, Halton Region fell short of both targets, according to the report, with 48 per cent of new housing completions being townhouse or apartment units, and 21.6 per cent of new units being affordable.
“The Town continues to make progress towards ensuring housing is accessible to all residents at any age and stage in life,” said the report.
“This progress recognizes the Town’s relatively limited scope in delivering affordable housing versus Halton Region and other levels of government, and the Region’s role as the service provider of affordable housing.”
An update on the 17 Guelph Street project shows the project will provide 14 affordable housing units near both the GO Station and downtown Georgetown.
The Town’s focus is on:
- Continuing to assist with existing and pending affordable housing projects
- Considering housing opportunities on Town-owned surplus lands
- Using a cross-departmental approach to monitor and coordinate the review of any new announcements, partnership opportunities, legislative changes and/or funding
- Coordinating with Halton Region on any local affordable housing options.