New Affordable Housing Coming to Leamington

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LEAMINGTON, ON, Aug. 28, 2026 /CNW/ -- To provide Canadians with increased access to affordable and sustainable housing, the Governments of Canada and Ontario announced nearly $3 million in funding through the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI) to build 18 new affordable housing units in the Municipality of Leamington.

Located at 310 Sherk Street, the Tiny Home Community Initiative consists of 50 mixed-income units at the existing The Bridge Youth Resource Centre site. COCHI funding supports 18 of these units, 12 of which are designed to be accessible. This project will provide affordable housing for youth, adults, seniors, low-income workers and individuals facing addiction challenges, offering critical access to supports and community services managed by The Centre. It is conveniently located within walking distance of public transportation, local shops, medical services, school, banks, parks and recreation centres.

The announcement was made by Matthew Rae, Parliamentary Assistant to the Honourable Rob Flack, Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, alongside Trevor Jones, Member of Provincial Parliament for Chatham-Kent–Leamington, Hilda MacDonald, Mayor of the Municipality of Leamington and Warden of the County of Essex, Dana Paladino, Commissioner of Human and Health Services of the City of Windsor, and Krista Rempel, Executive Director of The Bridge Youth Resource Centre.

Solving Canada's housing crisis requires immediate action to bring down costs. 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 to 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.

Quotes:

"Our Government is committed to helping communities develop local solutions to housing need. This project will provide more safe, affordable homes for the residents of Windsor. It's also another step forward in building an economy that serves everyone." – The Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada

"In the face of continued global economic uncertainty, the Ontario government is using every tool at our disposal to build a stronger and more resilient province. Today's announcement is the latest example of our efforts to protect Ontario by lowering the cost of living and getting more affordable housing built across the province. These 18 units will make a substantial difference in the lives of residents, and we look forward to continuing to create the conditions for more success stories like this to take place." – The Honourable Rob Flack, Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing

"Together, the Municipality of Leamington and City of Windsor are taking action to create more affordable housing and support a growing community. The Ontario government will continue supporting municipalities by providing the tools and critical housing-enabling investments needed to get more housing built across the province." – Matthew Rae, Parliamentary Assistant to Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing

"Ensuring more Ontario residents have access to housing they can afford is essential to building strong, growing communities. Today's announcement demonstrates what we can accomplish when the province, municipalities, and community partners work together. Our government will continue to support practical solutions that get more homes built, strengthen our communities, and create greater opportunities for families across Ontario." – Trevor Jones, Member of Provincial Parliament for Chatham-Kent–Leamington 

"This investment in The Bridge's Tiny Home Community Initiative is an important step forward in creating more housing options for people who need them most. These 18 new homes will provide more than a place to live. They will offer stability, dignity, and an opportunity for people to build a stronger future. We are proud to see this innovative project taking shape here in Leamington and grateful for the investments that are helping address the need for affordable housing across our region" – Hilda MacDonald, Mayor of the Municipality of Leamington and Warden of the County of Essex

"Every new affordable housing unit in our region creates an opportunity for individuals and families to move toward greater stability and security. The Bridge's Tiny Homes Initiative is an innovative project that will expand affordable housing options for vulnerable residents across Windsor-Essex and help address the growing need for stable housing. This initiative is also a testament to the power of partnership, bringing together community leaders and all levels of government to create meaningful, long-term housing solutions. Together, we are investing in people, strengthening our communities, and building a better future for Windsor-Essex residents." – Drew Dilkens, Mayor of the City of Windsor

"The support we received for our Tiny Homes Community Initiative helped to turn our vision into reality. The funding is supporting the construction of 18 housing units as part of our larger 50-unit development, allowing us to create more than just homes--we are creating a community where youth and individuals can find stability, security and the opportunity to build a stronger future. We are grateful for the investment in this initiative and for the confidence it demonstrates in our vision to address the growing need for affordable housing in our community." – Krista Rempel, Executive Director of The Bridge Youth Resource Centre

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 March 2026, the federal government has committed $82.28 billion to support the creation of over 199,000 units and the repair of over 344,200 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 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.
  
  
• In March 2026, the Governments of Canada and Ontario signed the Canada-Ontario Partnership to Build in support of the shared goals of boosting housing supply, advancing key transit projects, and strengthening economic growth. Under this new partnership, the Governments of Canada and Ontario will cost-match a total of $8.8 billion over 10 years to support housing-enabling infrastructure projects in Ontario. The funding will be prioritized for municipalities that reduce and maintain reductions on development charges. This marks the federal government's first partnership through the Build Communities Strong Fund.
• Funding provided for 310 Sherk Street is as follows:
  • $2,919,397 from the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative.
  • $1,858,000 from the federal government through the Rapid Housing Initiative previously announced in March 2022 

Additional Information:

• Visit canada.ca/housing for the most-requested Government of Canada housing information. 
• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is a federal Crown corporation and the foundation of Canada's housing system. For over 80 years, CMHC has supported the functioning of housing markets across the country through housing finance solutions -- including mortgage loan insurance and securitization -- while providing trusted, unbiased data, research and market intelligence to inform policy and decision making. Through its national presence, deep expertise in housing economics and finance, and a system-wide perspective, CMHC helps foster a more stable, well-functioning housing market that supports households, communities and the broader economy.

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• Ontario recently passed the Building Homes and Improving Transportation Infrastructure Act, 2026 to help 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: Arianna Durgerian, 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]