The head of the Chatham-Kent Home Builders’ Association (CKHB) is calling it “a great stride forward” after the municipality exceeded its provincial housing target for 2023.
Chatham-Kent was awarded $440,000 from the Ontario government’s Building Faster Fund last week after it was announced that the municipality had constructed 522 homes in 2023, exceeding its provincial target of 81 by 544 per cent.
“It’s exciting that the municipality is benefitting from the province pushing money out,” said CKHBA Executive Officer Dan VanMoorsel. “I think it’s a wonderful way for the municipality to benefit from what the builders are doing and for the builders to see the municipality wants to work together.”
Back in October 2023, the CKHB issued a public statement calling on the municipality to reduce the cost of developmental charges on new homes. The association said an increase to the government-imposed charges, which had been approved in 2022, was “handcuffing” local builders.
However, VanMoorsel said they have now found some common ground.
“I believe we’re in a wonderful place with the municipality right now,” he said. “The municipality has understood that we need more houses and are willing to concede a little bit in order to ensure that our builders can still build and we can do our best to keep housing affordable.”
CK Mayor Darrin Canniff has said the provincial funds will be reinvested to create demand and attract more homebuyers to the municipality. Specific details on how the funding will used have not been released.
