Accommodating growth and improving affordability are among the key goals of a Strategic Housing Action Plan (SHAP) being presented to Chatham-Kent council Monday.
The plan follows a housing needs assessment completed in 2025 that identified rising rental costs, growing social housing waitlists and increasing homelessness in Chatham-Kent.
If approved, the SHAP will guide the municipality’s housing strategy over the next 25 years, from 2026 to 2050. The plan outlines six main goals, 14 strategic actions, and a framework for implementation and tracking progress.
The SHAP was developed as part of Chatham-Kent’s commitments under the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF). The municipality received a $10-million grant through the federal program in 2024, with the funding being distributed in four installments. The first two payments were received in 2025 and 2026.
The plan’s key goals include increasing housing supply and choice, improving affordability, expanding supportive housing, reducing core housing need, streamlining development approvals, and aligning housing growth with infrastructure and transit planning.
Proposed actions include using municipal land for affordable housing projects, encouraging higher-density housing such as townhouses and apartments, streamlining development approvals, expanding supportive housing, and protecting existing affordable rental units.
Staff said in the report that foundational actions will be implemented first, with more complex initiatives beginning after year two.
Approval of the plan will not require any new spending. Future costs associated with implementing the strategy will require separate council approval through future budget processes.
