New affordable homes coming to Newmarket

Newmarket, Ontario, March 16, 2026

Far too many Canadians are struggling to find homes they can afford. Solving Canada’s housing crisis requires immediate action to bring down costs, cut red tape, and build homes more quickly. The Government of Canada is stepping up with a bold new approach to build affordable housing across the country.

Central to that work, the Government of Canada has launched Build Canada Homes, which is helping increase the pace of affordable homebuilding. Build Canada Homes is also helping fight homelessness by building transitional and supportive housing — working with provinces, territories, municipalities, and Indigenous communities. It is building deeply affordable and community housing for low-income households and partnering with private market developers to build affordable homes for the Canadian middle class.

As part of the Government of Canada’s broader efforts to respond to the housing crisis, investments are being made across the housing continuum to meet the needs of communities across Canada.

Today, the governments of Canada and Ontario announced $630,772 in joint funding through the Canada – Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI), which is being used to support the development of 18 transitional housing beds at Inn from the Cold’s latest project in Newmarket.

Once complete, this 3-storey building will deliver a total of 44 beds for emergency and transitional housing. The facility will include space for on-site support services and shared programming for residents and is ideally situated close to health clinics and public transportation.

In addition, the Government of Canada is contributing over $1 million through the Reaching Home program to support the delivery of 30 planned on-site emergency housing beds, while the Government of Ontario is investing $1.5 million through the Homelessness Prevention Program.

Quotes:

“The federal government is committed to helping communities develop local solutions to address the housing crisis. The project announced today will provide more safe, affordable homes for the most vulnerable residents of Newmarket. I’m proud of our government’s involvement, and of the tangible difference it will make for people in this community”
— The Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada

“Projects like this show what’s possible when all levels of government come together. With combined investments from our government, our federal partners and York Region, this is a strong example of what we can achieve when we work together to help people access safe shelter and the supports they need.”
— The Honourable Graydon Smith, Ontario’s Associate Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing

“Everyone deserves a safe and stable place to call home. This investment for Inn From the Cold is an important step toward addressing homelessness and supporting some of the most vulnerable members of our community. By working with our federal and municipal partners, we are expanding access to emergency and transitional housing in Newmarket and helping ensure residents have the supports they need to rebuild their lives.”
— Dawn Gallagher Murphy, Member of Provincial Parliament for Newmarket–Aurora

“The Regional Municipality of York is continuing to see increased demand for affordable housing options, including emergency and transitional housing for individuals at risk of or experiencing homelessness. Today’s investment helps ensure we can continue responding to the growing needs in our communities and supporting residents who need it most.”
— Eric Jolliffe, Chairman and CEO, The Regional Municipality of York

“Addressing homelessness requires collaboration. This project is an outstanding example of what partnership across federal, provincial, regional, and municipal governments — along with community partners — can achieve. Through these investments, Inn From the Cold can move forward with urgently needed emergency and transitional housing that will support people on their path to stable housing. This project shows what can be accomplished when we work together.”
— Wayne Ford, Chair, Board of Directors, Inn From the Cold

“The Inn From The Cold’s housing hub, which will open later this year, is a great example of what we can achieve when all levels of government — Municipal, Regional, Provincial, and Federal governments — come together and partner with community agencies. As we continue to face a growing crisis, this emergency and transitional housing project stands as an example of collaboration and community support”
— John Taylor, Mayor, The Town of Newmarket

Quick facts:

The National Housing Strategy (NHS) is a 10+ year, $115+ billion plan to give more Canadians a place to call home. Progress on programs and initiatives are updated quarterly on the Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC) website. The Housing and Infrastructure Project Map shows affordable housing projects that have been developed.
- As of December 2025, the federal government has committed $76.13 billion to support the creation of over 195,800 units and the repair of over 359,400 units. These measures prioritize those in greatest need, including seniors, Indigenous Peoples, people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and women and children fleeing violence.
- NHS is built on strong partnerships between the federal, provincial, and territorial governments, and continuous engagement with others, including municipalities, Indigenous governments and organizations, and the social and private housing sectors. This includes consultations with Canadians from all walks of life, and people with lived experience of housing need.
The Canada – Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI)is a funding initiative under the Canada – Ontario Bilateral Agreement that provides funding to repair, regenerate and expand community housing so tenants can live in a home that is affordable, as well provide rental assistance to those living in social and affordable housing. It can also be used to support community housing providers whose original program arrangements are expiring and help them to become more sustainable.
Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy was launched in April 2019 as part of the National Housing Strategy. The program supports the prevention and reduction of homelessness, including chronic homelessness. The Government of Canada works with communities to develop and deliver projects to address community priorities with clear outcomes.
The federal government is investing $5 billion over nine years, from 2019 – 20 to 2027 – 28, to address homelessness through Reaching Home.
Through the Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Initiative, the federal government has invested $250 million over two years, from 2024 – 25 through 2025 – 26, to support the deployment of Community Encampment Response Plans to address the urgent issue of encampments and unsheltered homelessness across Canada.
Through Reaching Home’s Designated Communities funding stream, the Government of Canada is investing over $80.2 million over nine years, from 2019 – 20 through 2027 – 28, to support the prevention and reduction of homelessness in York and Newmarket.
Through Reaching Home and the Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Initiative, the Government of Canada has supported Inn from the Cold with 23 projects totaling over $4.2 million.
The Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP) is a provincially funded program that supports Ontario’s 47 municipal service managers to provide affordable housing and support services for people experiencing or at-risk of homelessness.
Funding provided for Inn From The Cold’s site at 17046 Yonge Street is as follows:
- $7.4 million through the third round of the federal government’s Rapid Housing Initiative previously announced in November 2023.
- $150,000 from CMHC’ SEED funding
- Over $1 million from the federal government through Reaching Home
- $630,772 from the federal and provincial governments through the Canada – Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI).
- $1.02 million from The Regional Municipality of York
- $1.5 million from the Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP)

Additional information:

Visit canada.ca/housing for the most-requested Government of Canada housing information.

CMHC plays a critical role as a national facilitator to promote stability and sustainability in Canada’s housing finance system. Our mortgage insurance products support access to homeownership and the creation and maintenance of rental supply. We also actively support the Government of Canada in delivering on its commitment to make housing more affordable. Our research and data help inform housing policy. By facilitating cooperation between all levels of government, private and non-profit sectors, we contribute to advancing housing affordability, equity, and climate compatibility. Follow us on X, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

The Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025, helps speed up the construction of new homes and infrastructure by streamlining development processes and reducing costs, in partnership with municipalities.

For more information on affordable housing in Ontario, visit ontario.ca/affordablehousing or follow us on X.