The City of Sault Ste. Marie has recognized the critical need to address its housing challenges and has proactively taken steps to stimulate investment in the local housing sector. The city’s newly released draft Housing Community Improvement Plan (CIP) outlines a comprehensive strategy designed to boost housing development and affordability through a suite of targeted financial incentive programs. This CIP directly aligns with the city’s Housing Action Plan 2023-2028, prioritizing housing growth in strategic development areas that have the highest needs or are situated within safe, walkable distances to essential services and amenities.
Like many communities across Canada and Ontario, Sault Ste. Marie has grappled with a shortage of affordable housing options, a pressing issue that the CIP aims to directly confront. The plan introduces three innovative financial incentive programs that are tailored to incentivize the creation of new affordable housing units and secure long-term affordability commitments from developers, ensuring these vital housing options remain accessible to residents for at least 20 years. Through these carefully crafted incentives, the city hopes to spur much-needed investment in its housing stock and empower both individual homeowners and larger-scale developers to contribute to the expansion of affordable housing supply.
To ensure the CIP aligns with the community’s needs and priorities, the city is actively seeking public input and feedback on the draft plan before it is presented to City Council later this summer. By inviting residents to review the CIP and share their insights, Sault Ste. Marie demonstrates a commitment to a collaborative, community-driven approach to addressing its housing challenges. This inclusive process will help refine and strengthen the CIP, positioning it as a robust and effective tool to drive housing investment, affordability, and accessibility within the city. The draft CIP is available for public review on the city’s Public Input website, providing an opportunity for all stakeholders to contribute to the shaping of Sault Ste. Marie’s housing future.
