The federal government has reached an agreement with the City of Port Colborne to accelerate the construction of 128 homes over the next three years.

The agreement is part of the federal Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF), which aims to cut red tape, fast-track the construction of at least 112,000 new homes by 2028, and create as many as 750,000 new homes across the country over the next decade.

Under the terms of the agreement, Port Colborne's has committed to several initiatives, including updates to its Official Plan and zoning bylaws to encourage the development of more medium- and high-density housing and permitting four units as-of-right city-wide.

The city will also implement an electronic planning application system to accelerate permit and other approvals, and explore affordable housing partnerships with various housing providers to expand the region's affordable housing stock.

These moves are intended to spur the construction of 1,175 homes over the next decade, and in exchange for the commitments, the city will receive more than $4.3 million in HAF funding.

"This funding is integral in supporting the City of Port Colborne's Strategic Plan to increase housing options,” said Mayor William Steele. “It will help to move forward much-needed housing projects and partnerships while also contributing to an increase in the overall housing supply by developing new policies to spur future development."

As of September 2024, the federal government has committed $57.6 billion to support the creation of over 156,000 units and the repair of over 297,000 units.

In Budget 2024, the federal government committed an additional $400 million to incentivize more local governments to fast-track home construction, resulting in an additional 12,000 new homes permitted over the next four years.