Chatham-Kent's Strategic Housing Action Plan is a long-term roadmap for responding to housing needs across the community. It outlines how the Municipality will work with partners to help address housing affordability, supply, accessibility, and housing stability over time.
The plan is informed by the 2025 Housing Needs Assessment and feedback from residents, community partners, service providers, and local stakeholders. This work identified key housing challenges in Chatham-Kent, including a shortage of affordable rental housing, increasing pressure on supportive housing, a need for more one- and two-bedroom units, and growing demand from seniors and other priority groups.
The Strategic Housing Action Plan sets out a 25-year vision for housing in Chatham-Kent. It is designed to support a more affordable, inclusive, and responsive housing system where residents can access housing that is safe, suitable, adequate, and affordable.
Focus of the Plan
The plan includes strategic actions to support a wider range of housing options across the housing continuum. This includes affordable housing, supportive housing, community housing, transitional housing, and market housing.
It also identifies actions to:
- support the development of more affordable and supportive housing;
- encourage a greater mix of housing types and unit sizes;
- streamline development and approval processes;
- strengthen partnerships with non-profit, private, and community organizations;
- protect and preserve existing affordable housing where possible; and
- align housing growth with infrastructure and transit planning.
Why the Plan Matters
The Housing Needs Assessment identified a number of housing pressures in Chatham-Kent. These include households in core housing need, rising rents and home prices, long wait times for subsidized housing, and a mismatch between the types of housing available and the housing people need.
The plan also responds to forecasted growth and future housing demand. Between 2025 and 2050, Chatham-Kent is expected to need 6,085 new housing units, including both rental and ownership housing, with a significant share needed at affordable price points.
The Strategic Housing Action Plan helps move this work from identifying needs to taking action. It will guide municipal decision-making, partnerships, investment, and future housing initiatives as the community continues to grow and change.
Monitoring Progress
The plan includes actions, priorities, and measures to help track progress over time. It is intended to be a living document that can respond to new information, changing market conditions, funding opportunities, and future community needs.
The Municipality will also monitor results and report on progress to help support accountability and continued action.
Related Documents
Click the button below to review the Chatham-Kent Strategic Housing Action Plan.
Strategic Housing Action Plan
