Council Approves the Housing Needs Assessment and Strategic Roadmap

Council has officially endorsed the County of Brant’s Housing Needs Assessment and Strategic Roadmap, marking an important step toward a more inclusive, affordable, and complete community. Thank you to everyone who participated and shared their experiences. Your feedback helped shape the strategy now guiding our next 10 years of housing planning.

Why This Matters

Housing is essential to a thriving and sustainable community. As Brant continues to grow, we’re seeing rising housing costs, limited rental options, and a disconnect between what’s being built and what residents actually need. This strategy outlines how the County will address these challenges with clear, phased actions.

Read the complete Roadmap to Housing Needs in Brant.

What We Heard

From open houses to online surveys, residents shared what matters most:

• Affordability is a top concern, especially for young adults, seniors, and people with disabilities.
• There is strong support for more housing options, including townhomes, tiny homes, and accessible units.
• Growth must be matched with proper infrastructure like roads, water, schools, and healthcare.
• People want to protect farmland and green space.
• Renters want better protections and quality standards.
• Residents want to see their voices reflected in decisions.

Key Findings

• The County will need 2,455 new homes by 2035 - with at least 680 affordable units.
• Over 7,700 homes are already approved but not yet built - these will roll out over time, and we will focus on ensuring these are the types of homes that the community needs.
• There are major gaps in accessible housing and rental availability.

What’s the Plan?

The Housing Needs Strategy includes a 10-year roadmap with actions like:

✔ Updating the Official Plan with housing targets
✔ Creating an Affordable Housing Strategy
✔ Expanding rental supply and supporting Additional Residential Units (ARUs)
✔ Encouraging a mix of housing types (ARUs, low-rise apartments, etc.)
✔ Requiring barrier-free units in new developments
✔ Coordinating housing growth with infrastructure
✔ Launching a growth tracking model and public dashboard

What’s Next?

In 2025, staff will begin rolling out the short-term actions - including updates to planning documents, new incentive programs, and community education efforts. Proposals for medium- and long-term actions will be developed through ongoing monitoring and community input.

Thank you for being part of this important journey. With your continued support, we can ensure that everyone in the County of Brant has access to a safe, suitable, and affordable place to call home. For more information and to follow the plan through implementation, please visit brant.ca where a webpage dedicated to the Housing Needs Assessment and Strategic Roadmap will be available in the coming weeks.