Town of Saugeen Shores Advances Housing Initiatives with Continued CMHC Funding

The Town of Saugeen Shores continues to make significant progress in expanding housing opportunities as it receives the third installment of funding through the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF). 

In the fourth quarter of 2024, the Town was approved for up to $3.2 million through the HAF to support initiatives aimed at increasing housing supply, reducing barriers to development, and streamlining approval processes. Over the next decade, the funding is expected to support the creation of approximately 659 new homes across the community.

“Using the Housing Accelerator Fund, we’re advancing our plan to deliver the housing that our community needs for today and for the future,” said Mayor Luke Charbonneau. “We are taking action, with new solutions and partnerships, that will get more housing built for the people of Saugeen Shores.” 

The HAF funding is being used to deliver eight municipal initiatives designed to advance long-term housing strategies and encourage a greater mix of housing types in Saugeen Shores. Three of these initiatives are already completed, with the remaining five in progress to be completed by early 2027. These initiatives include:

• Consolidation Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approval Process (Complete) 
• Official Plan and Zoning By-Law Amendments to Enable Inclusionary Zoning (Complete) 
• Made in Saugeen Shores, Ready-to-Build Housing Designs (Complete)
• Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan Update  
• Housing-Driven Community Planning Permitting and Housing Opportunities System   
• Non-Profit Housing Partnerships   
• Property Repurpose Utilization Program to Convert Surplus and Underutilized Land to Housing   
• Incentive Programming Tools to Enable the Construction of Affordable and Attainable Housing  

To learn more about progress on these initiatives, check out the February 23, 2026 HAF Update report to Council, or visit www.saugeenshores.ca/HAF.  

With the most recent installment, the Town has received $2,426,256 of the allotted potential funding. The release of this installment reflects the Town’s continued progress toward meeting the program’s milestones and housing supply targets through these initiatives.

Between the agreement start date of December 2024 and December 2025, a total of 249 net new residential units were permitted, exceeding the program’s annual housing supply growth target with a growth rate of 2.66 per cent. A remaining total of 410 units is to be achieved by December 2028.

For more information about housing initiatives in Saugeen Shores, visit www.saugeenshores.ca/HousingInitiatives.