The government of Ontario is giving the cities of St. Catharines and Welland millions of dollars through the province’s Building Faster Fund in recognition of the cities’ accomplishments in breaking ground on new housing in 2025. St. Catharines broke ground on 1,064 new units, while Welland broke ground on 528.
The funding is designed, according to the Ford government, to help cities build more homes and community infrastructure. Funding is only given to cities that achieve at least 80 per cent of their provincial targets.
St. Catharines will receive $2.8 million for achieving 97 per cent of its housing target, while Welland will receive $1.7 million for exceeding its housing target by 23 per cent.
The funding was officially announced Wednesday at the St. Catharines Public Library by Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff, who was joined by St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe and Welland Mayor Frank Campion, among others.
“We are keeping the hope of homeownership alive for young people in Niagara and across Ontario,” said Oosterhoff. “Today’s significant investment by our government in housing enabling infrastructure for the cities of St. Catharines and Welland will help the next generation in our region achieve the same dream of homeownership as the last.”
The Building Faster Fund, first announced in August 2023, is a three-year, $1.2-billion program that helps municipalities build homes faster by rewarding municipalities that make significant progress toward their housing targets. The funding helps to pay for infrastructure needed to support new housing and growing communities.
Siscoe praised the Ford government for the Building Faster Fund in his comments at the announcement.
“Amidst challenging market conditions, this funding has supported strategic infrastructure investments, such as improvements to Ontario Street, the Turner and Phelps area, and our sanitary storm sewer CCTV inspection programs, that help support our long-term growth,” said Siscoe. “We are grateful to the Ontario government for its continued partnership and support as we invest in the infrastructure needed to accommodate growth, strengthen our neighbourhoods and build a more resilient and prosperous community for residents today and for generations to come.”
Campion was equally thankful for the province’s funding.
“I would like to thank the Minister for this funding,” said Campion. “It will enable Welland to improve and expand critical infrastructure, without having the ratepayer shoulder the full burden of growth-related costs. We are proud to have qualified for the third year in a row by exceeding our housing targets each year, and we appreciate Premier Ford and the Ontario government stepping up to the plate to assist.”
Jay Goldberg is the Canadian Affairs Manager at the Consumer Choice Center. He previously served as the Ontario Director at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and a policy fellow at the Munk School of Public Policy and Global Affairs. Jay holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Toronto.
