County passes $1B budget with massive investment in affordable housing

Housing push leads Simcoe County's new 10-year strategy and budget.

It was a busy and consequential day at the County of Simcoe as council signed off on a new 10-year strategy aimed at addressing affordable housing and homelessness across the region.

The plan, which sets out what the County calls “aggressive but achievable” targets, is designed to boost housing supply, support residents who are already housed, and tighten the system through better data and stronger partnerships.

Under the strategy, the County is committing to serving nearly 21,000 households by 2035. That includes creating just over 5,000 new housing units and subsidies, while also working to close affordability gaps for close to 16,000 additional households.

Officials say the approach focuses on three pillars: increasing the amount of available housing, helping people stay housed, and improving the way the system is managed.

County Warden Basil Clarke pointed to past success as a reason for optimism. “We were actually told our goals were too aggressive last time at 2,685 and we achieved close to 3,700, so we surpassed that goal,” Clarke said. “And even though we have an ambitious plan in front of us again, I’ve got faith in our staff that we can even surpass the goal that we’re heading for for the next 10 years.”

The strategy forms part of a broader $1-billion budget approved by council on Wednesday. Within that spending plan, $114 million is earmarked for community housing and $69 million is set aside for housing and homelessness supports. County officials say those dollars will help fund everything from new builds to ongoing services for people experiencing homelessness.

The budget also includes investments in several other major priorities, including upgrades to county roads and a runway extension at the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport — projects the County says will support economic development and regional connectivity.

As part of the budget approval, council also endorsed a 3.5 per cent increase on the county portion of municipal property taxes beginning in 2026. Officials say the increase is needed to sustain critical services while keeping up with continued growth across Simcoe County.