St. Catharines housing starts expected to gain momentum in the coming year

The City of St. Catharines is marking a record year for building permits with increased housing starts.

In a release, St. Catharines issued building permits for 1,025 new dwelling units during year two of the plan, exceeding its HAF year-two target by 310 units and surpassing its previous nine-year trend by more than 500 units.

In the coming weeks, permits for nearly 500 additional units are expected, with further major projects anticipated later this year.

According to the release, the city attributes its development to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF).

In January 2024, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation announced it was investing $25.7 million over four years in the city’s plan to boost housing supply in St. Catharines through HAF.

The program provides financial support to municipal governments to expedite development of new homes and the city is awaiting confirmation from the CMHC if it will receive $6.4 million in year-three funding for 2026.

Over the first two years of the program, the city invested $12.8 million in HAF funding to implement policy and regulatory reforms, as well as offer financial incentives aimed at driving measurable increases in housing supply.

Year one focused on offering fresh incentives and processes to streamline housing approvals, creating the foundation for this year’s successes.

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