​Bruce County launches pilot program to increase number of affordable rental units

Bruce County has launched a new pilot program that offers up to $50,000 to homeowners who wish to build an affordable Additional Residential Unit (ARU) on their property. The program creates the opportunity to help build two new affordable ARUs in the county.

This initiative is designed to help address the growing need for affordable rental housing as part of the county’s initiative to ‘Build in Bruce’ and is one of the actions identified in the recently released Housing Action Plan. By providing financial support to homeowners, the pilot program aims to increase the number of affordable rental units, while also giving homeowners a chance to earn income from their property.

Key details of the program: 

Funding: Up to $50,000 in financial assistance is available to eligible homeowners for the construction of an ARU.

Eligibility: Homeowners who own a single-detached property in Bruce County are eligible to apply. Additional criteria is available on the website here.

Affordability commitment: The newly-constructed unit must be rented at an affordable rate for 15 years, as defined by the program guidelines. 

Quick turn-around: The program is designed to speed up the creation of rental units, ensuring that new ARUs can be brought on-line as quickly as possible to meet the pressing demand for inclusive and affordable housing.

“We are excited to offer this new funding opportunity to our residents,” said Tina Metcalfe, director of human services. “This program supports homeowners to enhance the usage of their properties while advancing the county’s broader goal of increasing affordable rental options in our communities.”

How to Apply:

Interested homeowners can apply by visiting the county website here or contacting the county’s Housing Concierge Service at 1-800-265-3005 or housingconcierge@brucecounty.on.ca. Applications must be submitted on-line by Oct. 11, 2024.

For more information about the program, eligibility criteria, and the application process, visit: www.brucecounty.on.ca/buildinbruce/arufunding.

Background:

It is broadly accepted that housing is affordable when a household is not spending more than 30 per cent of its income on housing costs. The Province of Ontario has also defined affordable housing thresholds for households of low and moderate income.

For ownership housing, the affordable threshold is housing that is affordable to households with incomes at the 60th percentile. For renter households, the affordable housing threshold is 100 per cent of average market rent as published by Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation (CMHC).

In Bruce County, the affordable housing thresholds for 2023-24 were rents below $1,383 per month and ownership costs below $377,300.