It was an exceptional year for the City of Pickering, after the city exceeded its housing target by 58 percent. Officials and Premier Doug Ford gathered on Tuesday, March 13, to give a check for $5.2 million to the city, for going beyond housing targets in 2023.
The province’s Building Homes Faster Fund was designed to encourage cities to address housing supply problems, and to provide funding for more housing and community infrastructure.
“We need to continue building,” stated Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy. “This is about constructing today, and getting houses constructed — giving the opportunity of home ownership, in a condo, student housing, or senior housing.”
Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe mentioned the funds will be used for construction, as well as asphalt. “It’s not glamorous, but it’s the essential part of what matters to people,” said Ashe.
Just last year, the City of Pickering began work on 1,502 new housing units and issued 1,933 building permits, with an estimated construction value of $853 million. It also received 1,972 new development applications in 2023, with an estimated construction value of $1.26 billion.
Officials say it’s the highest number of both development applications received and building permits issued in a single year for the city.
Mayor Ashe added the city has been working on “missing middle” development projects.
“There has to be a mix and a choice of housing, from condos, which are often an introduction into the marketplace, to larger single-home family dwellings as well,” said Ashe.
