City funding helps Wyndham House bring Welcome to Waterloo housing initiative to Guelph
Guelph, Ont., November 17, 2025 – Guelph is on track to become the first mid-sized city in Canada to end chronic youth homelessness. A new supportive housing development by Wyndham House, funded in part by the City of Guelph, is part of what’s making that possible.
The City of Guelph is providing $320,000 to Wyndham House through its Vacant Unit Renewal Grant, which is funded by the federal Housing Accelerator Fund. The grant will help fund three units with space for 10 youth at 109 Waterloo Avenue, part of Wyndham House’s larger “Welcome 2 Waterloo” housing initiative.
“Even one youth without a home is one too many. We are proud to support Wyndham House’s development at 109 Waterloo Avenue, which will help Guelph become the first mid-sized city to end chronic youth homelessness by 2026,” said City of Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie.
“Thank you to the federal government for making these grants possible through the Housing Accelerator Fund and supporting a brighter future for our city.”
Chronic youth homelessness in Guelph and Wellington has dropped by 76 per cent over the past three years. This decline highlights the importance of early interventions that promote housing stability for youth, helping to prevent lifelong homelessness. This initiative builds on that success by offering tailored housing options that support youth at every stage of their journey.
Wyndham House will lead the project, which includes:
- Supportive housing at 109 Waterloo Avenue, with 24/7 wraparound care and on-site health services for 10 Guelph youth.
- Additional transitional housing at 107 Waterloo Avenue will offer three apartments for youth preparing to move into permanent housing.
“Thank you to the City of Guelph and the federal government for the CIP funding. This project shows what’s possible when a community unites around a shared purpose,” said Kristen Cairney, Executive Director of Wyndham House.
“These new homes will be truly transformative for young people in Guelph, giving youth a stable foundation and the wraparound care they need to reach their full potential. We’re incredibly excited to see this vision becoming a reality and we can’t wait to open the program’s doors in 2026.”
Construction is ongoing at the location. Youth are expected to move in by fall 2026. When that happens, Guelph will become the first mid-sized city in Canada to reach “functional zero” — a nationally recognized benchmark meaning our community can house new cases of youth homelessness as they arise.
Grant funding is still available through the City’s Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan. The City encourages other housing non-profits, builders or residents to apply. These grants are just one of the actions in the City’s 10-year Housing Affordability Strategy to ensure one in every three newly built homes is affordable.
To learn more about this work, you can:
- Visit guelph.ca/housing to learn more and apply for the Affordable Housing CIP grants.
- Visit wyndhamhouse.org to learn more about Wyndham House.
Quick Facts
- Chronic homelessness is when someone has been without stable housing for at least six months over the past year.
- Ending chronic homelessness refers to reaching a “functional zero” — a nationally recognized benchmark meaning a community has three or fewer people experiencing homelessness and can house new cases as they arise.
- Of adults experiencing homelessness, 44 per cent first experienced it before age 25 (Employment and Social Development Canada, 2022).
- Despite rising referrals, a housing crisis and the pandemic, chronic youth homelessness in Guelph and Wellington dropped by 76 per cent over the past three years (Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness).
- Projects like 109 Waterloo Avenue (supportive housing) and 107 Waterloo Avenue (transitional housing) have played a key role in this success, helping divert youth from shelters into stable, supportive homes.
About Wyndham House
Wyndham House is a youth-serving organization with over 50 years of experience providing homelessness and housing support to the Guelph-Wellington region. With creative persistence and low-barrier, wraparound support, Wyndham House meets youth needs to ultimately set them up for their own version of successful living. Across the supportive and transitional housing locations, Youth Emergency Shelter, New Way Educational Program and Concurrent-Specialized Youth Hub, Wyndham House delivers comprehensive, individualized, and wrap-around support to approximately 350 unique individuals annually.
About the City of Guelph
Guelph is a growing, diverse and vibrant community of about 149,000 people located about 100 kilometres west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Guelph’s community partners and business leaders are making a difference locally and globally in Agric-food, technology, environmental enterprise and advanced manufacturing industries. The city’s health local economy, thriving arts and culture scene, charming neighbourhoods, parks and green spaces make Guelph among the most livable cities in Canada.
Resources
- Wyndham House – Wyndham House
- Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan grants – City of Guelph
- Housing Affordability Strategy – City of Guelph
Media Contacts
Strategic Communications
[email protected]
City of Guelph
Lilli Porter
Manager of Communications and Community Engagement
519-822-4400 Extension 206
[email protected]