Housing in Guelph
Increasing affordable housing
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 |
City housing initiatives
Housing Affordability Strategy
The City has approved a new Housing Affordability Strategy outlining 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.
Additional dwelling units
The City has approved an Official Plan and Zoning bylaw amendment to allow up to four housing units on a low-density residential property. We are continuing to explore the impact and feasibility of more than four housing units in Guelph’s low-density residential areas. Learn more about additional dwelling units.
Guelph’s Housing Accelerator Fund Action Plan
The City developed a Housing Accelerator Fund action plan that included eight initiatives as part of the Housing Accelerator Fund Application. The City successfully secured 21.4 million funding that will be used to help unlock more affordable housing. Learn more about the Housing Accelerator Fund Action Plan.
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