The number of applications for affordable housing in Grey County grew 248 per cent from year end 2020 to year end 2024, according to a report to Grey County Council.
County officials said on Thursday's meeting that the waitlist has surged from 913 people in 2020 to more than 2,200 in 2024.
Grey County administers the community housing centralized waitlist following eligibility rules outlined in the Housing Services Act. The community housing centralized waitlist is used to make rental offers to Grey County Housing’s 995 rent-geared-to-income units, and eight non-profit housing providers, for a combined 450 additional subsidized housing units.
Anne Marie Shaw, Director of Community Services, said people are waiting years for affordable housing.
“Families could be waiting or individuals could be waiting up to six years, but we do have an average of about 4.5 throughout the county," Shaw added. "The last report from AMO showed the average across Ontario was anywhere from five years to 20."
The report said the average number of monthly applications has grown from 54 in 2020 to 88 a month in 2024.
“Certain areas, the waitlist is longer because our demand is longer and certain housing is longer too," Shaw explained. "A one-bedroom is our largest waitlist and our most, especially in Owen Sound, so you might be looking more towards six, but we may have housing in Holstein or somewhere that the waitlist may not be quite as long.”
Around 70 per cent of the households seeking housing are from Grey County.
The short-term emergency housing program at 713 9th Avenue East in Owen Sound has been at 100 per cent capacity for the winter. Unfortunately, individuals continue to be turned away due to the large demand.
Josh Gibson, Manager of Housing Programs, indicated that a higher basic level of income and rent control are possible solutions to improving wait list timelines.
Grey County has applied for funding to build more units, including a 40-unit project in Dundalk. One small project, converting commercial space into three units, is already under construction and should be completed by July.