Housing Accelerator Fund Action Plan

Upon comparing the initiatives in the Affordable Housing Strategy, Housing Accelerator Fund Action Plan, and Municipal Housing Pledge, it became clear that there was alignment and overlap between the work required to fulfil the City’s commitments to deliver on the Federal, Provincial and local work as outlined in each plan. For more detail, please read the May 2024 memo to City Council.

Given March 2024 Federal funding and Provincial funding announcements, staff took this opportunity to align all related work in an overarching Housing Strategy Implementation Plan. A September 2024 report to City Council includes an implementation plan to maximize the use of the Federal and Provincial funding with a focus on ensuring the requirements for future funding are met to the greatest extent possible with the completion of tasks that are within the control of the City.

The Government of Canada’s Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) provides incentive funding to local governments encouraging initiatives to increase housing supply. It aims to grow the annual housing supply in the country’s largest cities every year.

Not long after the adoption of the updated Affordable Housing Strategy on January 17, 2024, the Federal government announced the City of Barrie was successful in obtaining HAF funding on March 14, 2024. Through this project, the City of Barrie will receive $25,684,990 over the three-year program with a commitment to complete our submitted Action Plan and have 6,825 housing starts* by March 31, 2027. 

Year 1 funding in the amount of $6,466,247.50 was received by the City in 2024. Year 2 funding in the amount of $6,421,247.50 was received in March 2025 and was dependent on the City meeting Action Plan milestones. Similarly, Year 3 funding is dependent on the City meeting its housing targets.

*The 6,825 housing starts includes 688 units fast-tracked by the HAF funding and includes a target of 210 of 688 housing starts to be affordable.