Housing in Guelph
Increasing housing affordability
We’re taking action to encourage and facilitate more affordable housing development projects.
On this page
What is affordable housing?
In Canada, housing is considered “affordable” if it costs less than 30 per cent of a household’s before-tax income. Many people think the term “affordable housing” refers only to rental housing that is subsidized by the government. In reality, it’s a very broad term that can include housing provided by the private, public and non-profit sectors. It also includes all forms of housing tenure: rental, ownership and co-operative ownership, as well as temporary and permanent housing.
What do we mean by affordable housing in Guelph?
The province released an Affordable Residential Unit Bulletin that defines what “affordable” means for Guelph by setting affordable housing benchmarks for home ownership and rental units. The table below outlines these housing benchmarks by unit type:
| Unit type | Affordable housing benchmark (market-based) |
|---|---|
| Single-detached | $398,800 |
| Semi-detached | $398,800 |
| Townhouse | $398,800 |
| Apartment | $398,800 |
| Unit type | Affordable housing benchmark (market-based) |
|---|---|
| Bachelor | $1,160 |
| 1-bedroom | $1,508 |
| 2-bedroom | $1,646 |
| 3+ bedroom | $1,695 |
Housing Affordability Strategy
In December 2024, the City approved a Housing Affordability Strategy. The strategy outlines 30 actions to bring more housing that is affordable to Guelph over the next decade.
Read the strategy and the implementation plan to learn more.
Actions underway
Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan
The Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan provides grants for those looking to add a new affordable unit to their property, turn vacant units into affordable housing or build new affordable housing units. The incentives are one of the actions included in our Housing Affordability Strategy, which are funded by the federal government’s Housing Accelerator Fund, aiming to boost local housing supply.
Community Planning Permit System
We are developing a Community Planning Permit System, also called a CPPS, for two areas of the city: the Downtown and Stone Road/Edinburgh Road. The CPPS is a land-use planning tool that combines Zoning Bylaw Amendments, Minor Variances, and Site Plan applications into a single application and approval process.
Affordable Housing Seed Funding program
Coming spring 2025! The City of Guelph is providing seed funding to registered non-profits interested in building affordable housing. Learn more about the seed funding.
Affordable Housing Demonstration Project
The City is piloting new ways to be involved in the development of affordable housing. This project will deliver a minimum of 12 affordable housing units through the sale of City owned lands located at 14 Edinburgh Road.
In development