• York Region is facing a deepening housing crisis, with homelessness up 35 percent and waitlists for subsidized housing surpassing 18,000 households.
  • Chronic homelessness more than doubled in 2024, while the number of encampments increased nearly sixfold.
  • A new Housing and Homelessness Committee has been established with a broad mandate to address the full range of housing needs across the Region.
  • The committee will help develop York Region’s next 10-year Housing and Homelessness Plan and focus on accelerating emergency, transitional, affordable, and community housing.
  • Reporting to Regional Council, the committee will include Regional Chairman Eric Jolliffe and the region’s nine local mayors.
  • Backing the new committee, Stouffville Mayor Iain Lovatt cited its potential for needed action and progress on the Region’s housing file.

 

With homelessness surging and housing unaffordability at crisis levels, York Region is shifting course in its approach to tackling a growing emergency. The Region has disbanded a task force created to better understand market conditions and will launch a new body tasked with shaping solutions across the entire housing spectrum.

Demand for diverse housing options significantly exceeds available supply throughout the region. Shortages span multiple categories, including emergency shelters, transitional facilities, affordable rentals, and community housing developments.

As reported in the Region’s 2024 Health and Well-Being Review, the situation deteriorated sharply in 2024. Waitlists for subsidized housing ballooned to 18,419 households, including 4,500 new applications. Homelessness rose 35 percent from the previous year, with 2,525 individuals reported as experiencing homelessness.

Cases of chronic homelessness more than doubled, increasing 108 percent to 986 people. The number of encampments grew nearly sixfold—from 62 locations in 2021 to 361 in 2024—and emergency shelter beds are operating at or near capacity.

Officials have stressed that reversing these trends requires a comprehensive approach aimed at preventing homelessness and ensuring stable housing options across all socio-economic levels.

As a designated Service Manager under Ontario’s Housing Services Act, York Region oversees the area’s housing and homelessness system. The Region is responsible for planning and implementing long-term strategies, administering prevention programs, and managing emergency, transitional, and community housing operations.

After declaring a housing affordability crisis in February 2021, York Regional Council established the Housing Affordability Task Force to examine private market conditions and seek policy solutions. The Task Force held eight meetings between 2021 and 2024 before being formally discharged on March 30, 2025.

In its place, the Region is launching a new Housing and Homelessness Committee (the Committee) with a wider mandate to pursue system-wide solutions. Its responsibilities include shaping the next 10-year Housing and Homelessness Plan and accelerating development of new affordable, community, emergency, and transitional housing alongside increased federal and provincial funding.

The Committee will advocate for multi-level government investment and evaluate the effectiveness of Regional housing strategies. It will also examine how to better leverage public and private lands, explore innovative and more efficient construction methods, and build strategic public and private partnerships to expedite housing initiatives.

Regional Chairman Eric Jolliffe and all nine local mayors will sit on the Committee, which is scheduled to meet at least three times annually. Four meetings are already planned for 2025.

“As demand continues to outpace supply and more residents struggle to find and keep housing, addressing York Region’s housing and homelessness challenges remains a priority for Council,” Jolliffe said in a recent press release. “This Special Committee of Council will have the opportunity to explore and better understand the complexities and identify solutions to improve the current housing and homelessness crisis occurring across our municipalities.”

The municipal planning landscape has evolved following the implementation of Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, which transferred land use planning authority from York Region to its lower-tier municipalities. This change makes the involvement of local mayors in Regional housing strategies even more critical.

“Local municipalities are integral partners in advancing the Region’s housing and homelessness priorities,” a related Regional Staff report states. “The Housing and Homelessness Committee can support coordination of local municipal efforts and strengthen collaboration on initiatives to address housing needs of residents.”

Stouffville Mayor Iain Lovatt welcomed the creation of the new committee, calling it another important step in addressing the Region’s housing challenges.

“The previous Housing Affordability Task force was helpful in understanding market conditions and pressures facing our communities,” Lovatt said in comments to Bullet Point News. “I’m hopeful this new committee will take decisive action to make housing attainable for all.”

The Committee will oversee implementation of the new Housing and Homelessness Plan once it is approved by Regional Council. A progress report is expected in December 2026.