New Affordable and Supportive Housing Coming to Guelph

Government of Canada logo (CNW Group/Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC))

Government of Ontario logo (CNW Group/Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC))

GUELPH, ON, April 9, 2026 /CNW/ - Solving Canada's housing crisis requires immediate action to bring down costs. To provide Canadians with increased access to affordable and sustainable housing, the Government of Canada and the Ontario government are working together to help deliver two new housing projects in Guelph.

Welcome 2 Waterloo by Wyndham House, located at 107 - 109 Waterloo Avenue, will deliver 10 supportive housing units and three transitional housing units to at-risk youth once complete in October 2026. Each of the three floors will be fully equipped suites that include a modern, updated kitchen, bathroom, spacious bedrooms, laundry and a living room. Wrap-around supports, including case management, skills development, healthcare, recreational programming, and community initiatives, will be provided to position youth for greater life stability and success. The federal and provincial governments are supporting the project through over $1.75 million in joint funding.

In addition, the Government of Canada is contributing over $2 million to the project through the Affordable Housing Fund. This funding is provided through low-interest and/or forgivable loans or contributions to partnered organizations for new affordable housing and the renovation and repair of existing, affordable and community housing.

The 23 Gordon Street project, by Stepping Stone, will include a total of 24 emergency shelter beds and 12 transitional housing units once fully complete. The emergency shelter beds, which opened in February 2026, help meet urgent housing needs, while the transitional housing program launching later this month will allow individuals to continue to receive support as they transition from the shelter system into stable, long-term housing. Joint federal-provincial funding of over $1.16 million is being used to support the creation of the new transitional units, with the Ontario government contributing an additional $2.77 million through their Homelessness Prevention program to support the delivery of both the transitional units and the emergency shelter beds. This follows an investment of approximately $2.63 million through the federal Affordable Housing Fund, which was announced in November 2024.

The announcement was made by Dominique O'Rourke, Member of Parliament for Guelph, on behalf of the Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada, and Matthew Rae, Parliamentary Assistant to the Honourable Rob Flack, Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, alongside Chris White, Wellington County Warden, and Cam Guthrie, Mayor of Guelph.

Central to this work, the Government of Canada has launched Build Canada Homes, which is helping increase the pace of affordable homebuilding. Build Canada Homes is also helping fight homelessness by building transitional and supportive housing -- working with provinces, territories, municipalities, and Indigenous communities. It is building deeply affordable and community housing for low-income households and partnering with private market developers to build affordable homes for the Canadian middle class. As part of the Government of Canada's broader efforts to respond to the housing crisis, investments are being made across the housing continuum to meet the needs of communities across Canada.

The Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario recently signed the Canada-Ontario Partnership to Build in support of shared goals, including building more affordable homes, infrastructure, and transit. Under this new partnership, the federal government and Ontario will cost-match a total of $8.8 billion over 10 years, focused on housing-enabling infrastructure projects. This marks the federal government's first partnership through the Build Communities Strong Fund.

Quotes:

"Our Government is committed to providing communities the support they need to build capacity to develop local solutions to homelessness. Access to adequate, affordable housing is the foundation for socio-economic success. It supports better education and health outcomes, better employment prospects and better community engagement and cohesion, not to mention economic growth and financial security." – The Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada

"Our Government is investing in affordable and supportive housing to address homelessness and improve quality of life for those who need it most. By expanding access to safe, stable housing and essential supports, we are helping individuals, particularly young people at risk, to move out of homelessness and toward long-term stability. I am proud to support those initiatives that not only provides housing, but also builds stronger, more inclusive, and resilient communities for generations to come. Congratulations to Wyndham House for their continued work and dedication to ending chronic youth homelessness in Guelph." – Dominique O'Rourke, Member of Parliament for Guelph

"Ontario continues to explore every opportunity with our federal and municipal partners to protect the people of our province and ensure communities have the tools they need to deliver meaningful housing solutions. Not only will these projects provide new housing units to those who need them, they will also help to equip residents with the supports they need to rebuild their lives and thrive within their communities."– The Honourable Rob Flack, Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing

"Our government believes that every person in Ontario deserves access to safe, secure, and affordable housing. By continuing to work with our partners, I am confident that the strategic investments we are making today will go far in protecting and strengthening the local community in Guelph." – Matthew Rae, Parliamentary Assistant to Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing

"On behalf of the County of Wellington, I would like to thank the Governments of Ontario and Canada for their generous investments supporting our community's response to homelessness. The $1.7 million contribution to the Welcome to Waterloo project, alongside the $3.9 million joint investment in the expansion at 23 Gordon Street, reflects a strong commitment to improving housing stability in Guelph. The February opening of the 23 Gordon Street expansion added 24 new shelter beds and 12 transitional housing units, while Welcome to Waterloo, which supports youth experiencing homelessness, will provide 10 supportive and 3 transitional housing units for youth, strengthening the continuum of care for individuals experiencing homelessness. Together, these sites play a critical role in supporting the health and well‑being of people in need in our community." – Chris White, Wellington County Warden

"These strategic investments from our federal and provincial partners are a vital step forward in strengthening Guelph's housing stability and support systems. By working together, we are ensuring that our most vulnerable residents have access to the safe and secure housing they deserve within our community that supports their urgent needs." –  Cam Guthrie, Mayor of Guelph

"The renovated and expanded building at 23 Gordon is a community asset that will benefit Guelph-Wellington's efforts to end chronic homelessness" says Stepping Stone Executive Director Perrin Valli. "The space has been designed to be adaptable as needs change over the decades to come. We are grateful to the Government of Ontario for their support of this project." – Perrin Valli, Executive Director of Stepping Stone

"We are deeply grateful to the Province of Ontario for this investment through the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI) and the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI), which reflects a strong commitment to expanding much-needed housing in our community. This capital funding will enable the creation of 10 new supportive housing beds and 3 transitional units through the Welcome 2 Waterloo project--an important step forward in our community's shared commitment to ending youth homelessness." – Kristen Cairney, Executive Director of Wyndham House

Quick Facts:

• The National Housing Strategy (NHS) is a 10+ year, $115+ billion plan to give more Canadians a place to call home. Progress on programs and initiatives are updated quarterly on the Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC) website. The Housing and Infrastructure Project Map shows affordable housing projects that have been developed.
  • As of December 2025, the federal government has committed $76.13 billion to support the creation of over 195,800 units and the repair of over 359,400 units. These measures prioritize those in greatest need, including seniors, Indigenous Peoples, people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and women and children fleeing violence.
  • NHS is built on strong partnerships between the federal, provincial, and territorial governments, and continuous engagement with others, including municipalities, Indigenous governments and organizations, and the social and private housing sectors. This includes consultations with Canadians from all walks of life, and people with lived experience of housing need.
• The Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI) is a funding initiative under the CMHC-Ontario Bilateral Agreement. This 10-year agreement provides more than $378 million in federal and provincial OPHI funding to help protect, renew and expand community housing. 
• The Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI) is a funding initiative under the Canada-Ontario Bilateral Agreement. The funding helps repair, regenerate and expand community housing, as well as provide rental assistance to those living in social and affordable housing. It can also be used to support community housing providers whose original program arrangements are expiring.
• The Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) provided funding through low-interest and/or forgivable loans or contributions to partnered organizations for new affordable housing and the renovation and repair of existing, affordable and community housing. This was a $16.1 billion program under the National Housing Strategy (NHS) that gave priority to projects that help people who need it most, including women and children fleeing family violence, seniors, Indigenous Peoples, people living with disabilities, those with mental health or addiction issues, Veterans, and young adults. The application portal for AHF is now closed as all funding has been committed.
  • As of December 2025, the Government of Canada has committed $14.44 billion to support the creation of over 56,900 units and the repair of over 174,700 units through the Affordable Housing Fund.
  • On September 19, 2025, the Government of Canada announced $1.5 billion top-up in loans for the AHF's New Construction Stream, to support the creation of over 5,000 new units starting in 2025-26. Additionally, the AHF's Rapid Housing Sub-Stream will be accelerated, by pulling $385 million in funding from future years. 
     
• The Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP) is a provincially funded program that provides affordable housing and support services for people experiencing or at-risk of homelessness.
  • In 2025-26, $654 million was allocated through the Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP).
  • Under the program, local Service Managers are given the flexibility to determine how to use the funding for programs and services that address and prevent homelessness in their communities.
• Funding provided for the Welcome 2 Waterloo Project (107-109 Waterloo Avenue) is as follows:
  • $1,134,500 from the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI) and $620,714 from the Canada–Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI) for the construction of 10 supportive housing units.
  • $2,076,894 from the federal government, through the Affordable Housing Fund
• Funding provided for Stepping Stone's 23 Gordon Street Project is as follows:
  • $1,166,200 from the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI) for the construction of 4 transitional housing units.
  • $2,774,800 from the provincial government, through the Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP) for the construction of the 8 remaining transitional housing units and 24 emergency shelter beds.
  • $2,627,200 from the federal government through the Affordable Housing Fund previously announced in November 2024

Additional Information:

• Visit canada.ca/housing for the most-requested Government of Canada housing information. 
• Build Canada Homes is ready to partner with organizations committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing across Canada. Learn more about the portal and the Investment Policy Framework.
• CMHC plays a critical role as a national convenor to promote stability and sustainability in Canada's housing finance system. CMHC's mortgage insurance products support access to home ownership and the creation and maintenance of rental supply. CMHC research and data help inform housing policy. By facilitating cooperation between all levels of government, private and non-profit sectors, CMHC contributes to advancing housing affordability, equity, and climate compatibility. CMHC actively supports the Government of Canada in delivering on its commitment to make housing more affordable.
  Follow CMHC on X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.  
• The recently introduced Building Homes and Improving Transportation Infrastructure Act, 2026, builds on the Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025, which helps speed up the construction of new homes and infrastructure by streamlining development processes, modernizing planning rules, and reducing costs, in partnership with municipalities.  
• For more information on affordable housing in Ontario, visit ontario.ca/affordablehousing or follow us on X. 

SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)

Contacts: Renée LeBlanc Proctor, Office of the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, [email protected]; Michael Minzak, Office of Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, [email protected]