Unpacking the National Housing Strategy  

Where did Ontario’s $11.07 billion housing investment go?

The National Housing Strategy (NHS) is Canada’s over $115 billion housing plan, designed to address Canada’s housing affordability crisis. But how exactly are these funds being allocated to create meaningful change? In Ontario, five key NHS programs alone have already committed over $11.07 billion to improve housing outcomes.  

Let’s take a deeper look at how these funds are distributed across five of the key NHS programs, including the Affordable Housing Fund and the Rapid Housing Initiative. By exploring how these initiatives are increasing housing supply and supporting necessary repairs, we aim to provide data-driven insights into the progress made so far in Ontario’s community housing landscape.  

Want to explore the data in detail? Access a more detailed visualization and breakdown here.

Looking at the big picture 

To fully grasp the impact of the NHS in Ontario, it’s important to understand the overall funding breakdown. So far, over $23.7 billion has been allocated or committed to housing projects across Canada, with Ontario receiving nearly half of this at $11.07 billion.  

Out of these funds, 26% have been provided as contributions, while 74% have been issued as loans. This mix of funding sources demonstrates a strategic approach to balancing immediate support with long-term sustainability.   

Note: This graph is interactive. Explore further by hovering your mouse over the data points to reveal additional insights.

By the numbers: 248,131 housing units supported 

Across Canada, NHS funds have helped support 248,131 new and existing housing units, with a significant number of these benefiting Ontario.  

• 191,823 of these units meet CMHC’s affordability standards. 
• 155,354 were existing units that were repaired or renewed. 
• 92,748 represent newly constructed units.

In Ontario, a large portion of this support – 121,932 – has gone towards the repair and renewal of existing units.  

These numbers demonstrate the significant impact of the NHS in supporting both the creation of new affordable housing and the preservation of existing stock.  

A focused view of Ontario 

Let’s take a closer look at how Ontario is using its share of the NHS investment to support new supply and protect existing stock. Community housing providers, municipalities, and developers in Ontario have received nearly $11.07 billion through the National Housing Strategy to date. Of these funds, $2.8 billion were provided in contributions, and $8.2 billion in loans. 

The funding has been strategically distributed across multiple programs, with the majority going to the Apartment Construction Loan Program ($5.59 billion) for the construction of new units, and to the Affordable Housing Fund ($4.14 billion) for repairs of existing ones as well as new construction.  

36,650 new units built in Ontario 

Through the funds, Ontario has committed to the construction of 32,086 new units, distributed as follows: 

• 15,277 through the Apartment Construction Loan Program
• 10,126 through the Affordable Housing Fund
• 7,694 through the Affordable Housing Innovation Fund
• 2,667 through the Rapid Housing Initiative
• 886 through Federal Lands Disposition

Note: This graph is interactive. Explore further by hovering your mouse over the data points to reveal additional insights.

Who is getting the funding for affordable units? 

The breakdown of funding recipients for affordable housing in Ontario reveals a diverse range of contributors, including private developers, community housing providers, and various other organizations. It’s important to note that municipalities may redistribute a portion of their funding to other project proponents. Similarly, lead proponents, such as private developers, often collaborate with other entities like non-profits. However, this data doesn’t delve into those specific partnerships or secondary funding allocations. 

Note: This graph is interactive. Explore further by hovering your mouse over the data points to reveal additional insights.

Municipalities have been the primary recipients of NHS funding, allocating most of those funds to repair 96,692 units.  

Private developers have been the most common proponents of new construction projects, receiving funds predominately through the Apartment Construction Loan Program, and adding 9,649 affordable units to the current stock (2,731 units complete to date).  

Non-profits and co-operatives, funded primarily through the Affordable Housing Fund, are contributing 6,327 new units to Ontario’s affordable housing stock, and renovating 14,342 units (2,697 new units have been completed to date). 

Faith-based organizations are contributing 5,047 new affordable units mostly through the Affordable Housing Innovation Fund (31 units completed to date).  

Addressing Ontario’s Housing Repair Backlog

Addressing significant repair backlogs, projects are targeting the large number of Ontario community housing units in need. According to CMHC’s 2023 Social and Affordable Housing Survey, approximately 100,429 community housing units in Ontario were in poor condition, closely aligning with the 100,958 affordable units receiving repair funding. This funding, which also includes non-affordable units, is being distributed to municipalities, non-profits, co-ops, and Indigenous organizations.

A collaborative approach to ensure housing investment continues 

Addressing Ontario’s housing needs requires a collaborative effort. By fostering partnerships between community housing providers, private developers, and all levels of government, we can leverage investments to create long-term, sustainable solutions for all Ontarians.  

As we approach the federal election, it will be important to keep housing front and center. Regardless of who leads the next government, affordable housing funding must be protected. As a sector, we need to advocate for the most effective use of housing funds. This includes exploring innovative allocation methods and ensuring that every dollar contributes to building and preserving affordable housing for everyone.  

Private developers interested in partnering with non-profit housing providers to meet affordable housing requirements can reach out to us at partnerships@onpha.org to explore opportunities for collaboration. 

Empower your organization with the knowledge you need

ONPHA’s upcoming Sector Summit offers housing providers a unique opportunity to learn about emerging trends and actionable strategies shaping the future of the housing sector. Join us on April 9 to stay ahead of the curve!

Note: The data for this blog was sourced from the National Housing Strategy’s Housing Funding Initiatives Map, last updated following the December 2024 progress report. Responsibility for reporting on the National Housing Strategy has since shifted to Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC). While HICC has not yet made the comprehensive Housing Funding Initiatives Map data available on their website, some data related to National Housing Strategy funded projects can be found here. However, it’s important to note that this alternative source does not contain the full data set.