Funding rewards municipalities for progress toward housing starts
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 19 2026
BRANTFORD — The Ontario government is rewarding the City of Brantford with $4,000,000 through the third round of the Building Faster Fund, which provides funding to municipalities that achieve at least 80 per cent of their provincially designated housing targets. In 2025, Brantford broke ground on 1,612 new homes, exceeding its annual target by 61 per cent. The funding will help the City of Brantford build more homes and community infrastructure while advancing the province’s plan to protect Ontario by investing in projects that support economic growth and keep workers on the job.
“We appreciate the efforts of municipal partners, like Brantford, who are working tirelessly alongside us to get more shovels in the ground,” said Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “We will continue to support their success and create the conditions to build more, smarter and faster, through initiatives such as the recently announced Development Charge Reduction Program.”
Announced in August 2023, the Building Faster Fund is a three-year, up to $1.2 billion program that helps municipalities build more homes faster. The fund rewards municipalities that make significant progress toward their housing targets by providing funding for the infrastructure needed to support new housing and growing communities.
“Brantford is experiencing remarkable growth, and we’re grateful to everyone who continues to contribute to the development and investment we are seeing across our community,” said Kevin Davis, Mayor of Brantford. “We appreciate the province’s support through the Building Faster Fund, which will help the City continue to manage growth responsibly while ensuring Brantford remains a welcoming, vibrant and exceptional place to live.”
The Ontario government is also helping to speed up the construction of new homes and infrastructure by streamlining development processes and reducing unnecessary costs, most recently through the Building Homes and Improving Transportation Infrastructure Act, 2026 and the HST Relief Implementation Act (Residential Property Rebates), 2026.
As part of the up to $8.8 billion Canada-Ontario Partnership to Build, Ontario has introduced the Development Charge Reduction Program, which will provide funding for housing-enabling infrastructure projects over 10 years. Funding will be prioritized for municipalities that reduce and maintain reductions on development charges. The agreement also supports the removal of the HST on new homes from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, which will save homebuyers up to $130,000 off the cost of a new home. Collectively, these measures help to enhance affordability, support builders as they get shovels in the ground on new homes and keep workers on the job.
“Achieving 161 per cent of the provincial housing target is no small feat,” said Will Bouma, MPP for Brantford. “This was a tremendous collective effort by City staff, Council and Mayor Kevin Davis that brings homeownership closer to more people in Brantford. Well done.”
Quick Facts
- From January to May 2026, Ontario saw 26,084 total housing starts, an increase of 17.2 per cent compared to the same period in 2025.
- From January to May 2026, Ontario saw 13,599 rental starts, an increase of 94.9 per cent compared to the same period in 2025. This is a record for rental starts for this time of the year.
- To help make way for more housing opportunities and support growing communities, the government is also giving municipalities more time to spend funds rewarded through the Building Faster Fund, extending the deadline to 2028.
- Our government is investing nearly $57 million in municipalities across the County of Brant through the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program to enable over 5,000 new homes and rehabilitate water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure for approximately 45,000 existing homes. This includes over $12 million for the City of Brantford.
Additional Resources
Media Contact
Michael Minzak
Minister’s Office
Michael.Minzak@ontario.ca
Communications Branch
MMA.media@ontario.ca
news.ontario.ca/mmah/en
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