Town of St. Marys opening doors with attainable housing action plan

The Town of St. Marys is addressing the housing crisis head on with a new action plan. Called “Opening Doors,” the plan was developed by a housing expert, following consultations with developers, builders, and community members.

The plan aims to tackle St. Marys’ shortage of affordable housing options. Like many Canadian communities, the Stonetown has very few rental options available. When vacancies do arise, rents are often higher than what the average earner can afford.

“We have people working good jobs, earning a decent wage, who can’t find a house or afford rent in St. Marys,” says Mayor Al Strathdee. “That’s a problem. Everyone deserves a place to call home.”

The Opening Doors Plan seeks to alleviate the issue by adding 200 new rental units to the town’s housing stock by 2027, with 30 of these falling into the affordable/attainable housing category.

The plan identifies four areas that the Town should focus on to achieve its housing goals: policies, programs and incentives, land, and implementation team. Together, these focus areas direct the Town to review its by-laws, processes, grants, and landholdings to ensure they are being used in a way that advances its housing goals.

A copy of the Opening Doors plan is available on the Town website at www.townofstmarys.com/housing. Residents can read the plan and view a summarized list of the four focus areas, their associated initiatives and progress to date. Those interested can subscribe to the page to receive an email when new information is added and milestones are reached.

Questions about the plan can be directed to Grant Brouwer, Director of Building and Development at 519-284-2340, ext. 215 or gbrouwer@town.stmarys.on.ca

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For media inquiries:

Brett O’Reilly | Corporate Communications Manager
519-284-2340, ext. 432 | boreilly@town.stmarys.on.ca