St. Catharines – The Ontario government is rewarding the cities of St. Catharines and Welland with a combined total of $4,506,730 through the third round of the Building Faster Fund, which provides funding to municipalities that achieve at least eighty percent of their provincially designated housing targets. In 2025, St. Catharines and Welland broke ground on over 1,500 new housing units. The funding will help both cities 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 are keeping the hope of homeownership alive for young people in Niagara and across Ontario,” said Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West.
“Today’s significant investment by our government in housing-enabling infrastructure for the cities of St. Catharines and Welland will help the next generation in our region achieve the same dream of homeownership as the last.”
“Ontario continues to grow, and we appreciate partners like St. Catharines and Welland who are committed to meeting the increased demand for more housing,” said Hon. Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
“Our government will continue exploring ways to support municipalities in getting more shovels in the ground, including through initiatives such as the recently announced Development Charge Reduction Program.”
The City of St. Catharines is receiving $2,837,413 in provincial funding for achieving ninety-seven percent of its housing target, breaking ground on 1,064 new housing units, while the City of Welland is receiving $1,669,317 for exceeding its housing target by twenty-three percent, breaking ground on 528 new housing units.
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.
MPP Oosterhoff joined Matthew Rae, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, along with Mat Siscoe, Mayor of the City of St. Catharines, and Frank Campion, Mayor of the City of Welland, at the St. Catharines Public Library to announce the funding.
“St. Catharines and Welland are taking action to build more homes and support their growing communities,” said MPP Rae.
“Our government is committed to working alongside municipalities by making housing-enabling investments and providing the tools they need to get more homes built faster. Together, we are helping create more housing opportunities for families across Ontario.”
“St. Catharines is proud to have qualified for Building Faster Fund support for the third consecutive year, reflecting our commitment to building more homes for our community,” said Mayor Siscoe.
“Amidst challenging market conditions, this funding has supported strategic infrastructure investments, such as improvements to Ontario Street, the Turner and Phelps area, and our sanitary and storm sewer CCTV inspection programs, that help support our long-term growth. We are grateful to the Ontario government for its continued partnership and support as we invest in the infrastructure needed to accommodate growth, strengthen our neighbourhoods and build a more resilient and prosperous community for residents today and for generations to come.”
“I would like to thank the Minister for this funding,” said Mayor Campion.
“It will enable Welland to improve and expand critical infrastructure, without having the ratepayer shoulder the full burden of growth-related costs. We are proud to have qualified for funding for the third year in a row by exceeding our housing targets each year, and we appreciate Premier Ford and the Ontario government stepping up to the plate to assist.”
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 Harmonized Sales Tax 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 ten years. Funding will be prioritized for municipalities that reduce and maintain reductions on development charges. The agreement also supports the removal of the Harmonized Sales Tax 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.