Peel Housing and Homelessness Plan 2018 to 2028

Peel Region as Service Manager oversees the entire affordable housing system in Peel. We manage our own stock and work with Peel Living, 51 other housing providers, developers, and private landlords to make affordable housing available and prevent homelessness for all Peel residents.

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We work with many community agencies to provide a range of housing supports for residents with a housing need. We manage rental subsidies, keep stock in good repair, ensure community housing providers remain financially viable, and manage new developments.

About the plan

To improve the outcomes of our work, together with the community we’ve developed the Peel Housing and Homelessness Plan which is built on a foundation of 5 evidence-based pillars. It’s an innovative, smart, and forward-thinking approach to solving complex housing issues. It guides all our actions, ensuring every step we take is intentional and strategically planned.

Solving Peel’s affordable housing crisis requires significant investment and innovative new ideas, but we can’t do it alone. We’ll build new partnerships and strengthen existing ones to advocate for adequate funding from the Canadian and Ontario governments and other partners, and to deliver important support services to people in need. The Plan will help us make sure that Peel residents can get and keep housing they can afford.

The 5 strategy pillars

1.Transform service

The challenge: People have complex needs and require more custom solutions that match what they are asking for.

The fix: We’re shifting towards a needs-based approach so we can customize how we help each client. We’re using technology, working with housing providers, and our community agency partners using a wraparound model to help clients get and keep housing.

Actions: We’re working on completing actions related to the transform service pillar. Access pillar 1 action updates.

2. Build more community housing

The challenge: Buying or renting a home is unaffordable for 80% of Peel residents, and they face long waits to access community units. More people are looking to the community housing system to meet their housing needs.

The fix: We’re taking steps to get shovels in the ground and build more community rental units and emergency shelter spaces. We're building on land owned by the Region of Peel and Peel Housing Corporation to save on the high costs of buying land and investing those savings in more new units.

Actions: We’re working on completing actions related to the build more community housing pillar. Access pillar 2 action updates.

3. Maximize planning tools and incentives

The challenge: The private market is not building housing that is affordable for a growing number of households in Peel.

The fix: We’re working with municipal partners to develop policies and incentives that support more new affordable units and a mix of housing types. This includes requiring affordable housing development through tools such as Inclusionary Zoning and working to prioritize and coordinate planning approvals for affordable housing development.

Actions: We’re working on completing actions related to the maximize planning tools and incentives pillar. Access pillar 3 action updates.

4. Optimize existing stock

The challenge: Building new units takes years. But there’s an affordable housing crisis right now.

The fix: We'll continue to strengthen relationships with community housing providers and private landlords and by working differently with homeowners, faith groups and other stakeholders, we can more quickly address the need for affordable housing through the existing stock.

Actions: We’re working on completing actions related to the optimize existing stock pillar. Access pillar 4 action updates.

5. Increase supportive housing

The challenge: Peel’s need for supportive housing is growing, and less than half of that need is being met.

The fix: With our partners, we’re creating a new plan for supportive housing in Peel. Also, we’re removing red tape to make it easier for vulnerable residents to get the help they need to live independently, and we’re advocating for much needed additional funding from the Ontario government.

Actions: We’re working on completing actions related to the increase supportive housing pillar. Access pillar 5 action plan updates.