What's Possible for Collingwood - Housing Campaign

What's Possible when there are housing choices for everyone?

• Why we need to "create possibility"

  It’s no secret that Collingwood and other communities across the country have a big housing challenge. As a growing community, many residents or newcomers can’t afford to live here. There aren’t enough housing choices for different levels of income, career choices, or stages of life. The current reality is that:

  • Young families who keep the town vibrant and growing struggle to afford to rent or buy their first home. 
  • Older adults on fixed incomes face challenging staying in the town they have called home all their lives. 
  • Youth who grew up here may not be able to afford to move back after college or university. 
  • Employers struggle to attract skilled people or keep the staff they need to provide services that residents and visitors enjoy or depend on, or they have to spend money to bus people in or find alternate, costly solutions.
  • We miss out on needed talent and skills. Nurses, junior engineers, teachers, construction workers, and others look for jobs in other places because they can’t afford to live here. 
  • Many people who work here, can’t afford to live here and are forced to commute into town every day or seek work elsewhere.

  When housing is out of reach, it affects the whole community.

• Cost of housing in Collingwood

  Did you know that housing is out of reach for the median incomes for most of the top industries in Collingwood? 

  The average cost to rent in Collingwood is $2,000+ a month.

  The average cost to buy a home is between $600,000 to $1 million.

  A household needs an income of $80,000 to $160,000 to rent or buy in Collingwood. That prices a lot of people out of the market and they need to look elsewhere to live and possibly work.

  Look at the image below. It shows how the average cost to buy or rent a home in Collingwood is out of reach for many common professions. 

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• How the Town is shaping What's Possible

  The Town is planning carefully so that growth fits our community, and we have a variety of housing that meets the needs of different stages of life and career choices.

  What we’re currently doing:

  • Investing in and developing programs and opportunities for housing options to be built, such as the award-winning Rapid Additional Residential Unit initiative which has produced over 70 rental units since its inception in 2023.
  • Approved the Collingwood Housing Incentives Pilot Program which will allow the Town to provide financial support to developers and non-profits building affordable housing. 
  • Ongoing work with local partners to deliver housing solutions, including Simcoe County-led affordable housing built on Town lands, which will provide 30 affordable units once the project is complete.  
  • Supporting new housing that helps older adults age in place, including implementing the Rapid ARU Program that encourages more rental units to be built throughout Town. 
  • Council has committed $400,000 funding this year and approved new housing plans. 
  • Working to streamline approvals and offer clear processes.
  • Working with developers to secure voluntary contributions for affordable units, including securing agreements for 34 affordable units since 2023. 
  • Providing $25,000 of Seed Funding to a new non-profit housing organization that can build, own and operate affordable housing in the community.
  • Creating new housing policies and regulations.
  • Applying for Provincial and Federal housing funding available to maximize our investment in housing.
  • Ensuring housing solutions are part of our community’s sustainable growth.
  • Supporting  the citizen-based, volunteer-led Affordable Housing Task Force, which provides ongoing public education/ engagement and advocacy for affordable housing.
  • Implementing the recommendations from the Affordable Housing Master Plan.

  Visit the Affordable Housing webpage for more information and to learn more about the Town’s role in housing.

• How YOU can shape What's Possible

  Different people have different needs for a home. Support housing options and talk with your neighbours about why that matters. You can get informed and affect change by:

  • Sharing your story in the form below and showing support for more housing solutions in  Collingwood. These stories will be used later in the campaign to highlight why housing is so important. 
  • Subscribing to the Affordable Housing e-newsletter 
  • Supporting the work of the Affordable Housing Task Force by attending events or volunteering.
  • Sharing this campaign with others and encouraging positive conversations.
  • Speaking up in support of housing choices for every stage of life, such as at a council meeting.
  • Consider creating an Additional Residential Unit if you own your home.
  • Attending public meetings or events that help shape Collingwood’s future.
  • Helping to promote housing for all as part of healthy economic growth.

  Let us know what you think! What’s Possible when there are housing options for every stage of life and career choice? Fill out the form below.