The County of Simcoe, together with the City of Orillia, are preparing a Housing Attainable Supply Action Plan (Housing ASAP).  The Housing ASAP project will identify tactics and strategies that can be implemented in the next 5 years to increase attainable housing “missing middle” supply provided by the private market in Simcoe County.

This project will answer three fundamental questions related to attainable housing within Simcoe County:

1. What is Attainable?  In each sub-region of the County, what is the target sale price and target rent that is within reach of the working individual and family?
2. What is Missing?  What are the number and types of dwellings that need to be integrated into each sub-region for the private sector to deliver market-based housing that is attainable?
3. How can we help?  What can municipalities do to help facilitate the attainable units that are needed?

We anticipate aspirations and advocacy tools to come out of this work to be used either at the County level or suggestions/options at the local level.​ ​These are actionable directions to help address the housing crisis in Simcoe County. ​

The work undertaken as part of this project will look at the market housing supply and delivery system, with a focus on workforce and missing middle housing in Simcoe County. The recommendations will influence an increase of attainable and workforce housing supply in Simcoe County within the realm of municipal control (upper or lower tier). Additionally, some other recommendations may require municipal advocacy (advocate for changes in legislation, policy, funding, etc.). ​The project will include four components:

Component 1 – Gap Analysis, Background Review

• Housing Needs Assessment: Summary Presentation

• ​​​​The Housing Needs Assessment is the first component of the Housing ASAP and identifies the housing options currently available across the County, the gaps in the market for moderate-income households, the price points that are affordable to households based on their income, the characteristics of households in need of attainable housing, and the market characteristics that are leading to these outcomes.​

• ​Additional details can be found in the County of Simcoe’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee Report, AHA 2023-276 – Housing – Attainable Supply Action Plan (ASAP) Project Update.

Component 2 - Public and Stakeholder​ Engagement

• ​​County of Simcoe and City of Orillia Public Information Centre – Discussing the Housing – Attainable Supply Action Plan (Housing ASAP) Project – Virtual Meeting from November 8th, 2023 (If you need the video file, please request us)

• Simcoe County Housing Attainable Supply Action Plan Public Meeting Presentation

Component ​3 - Best Practices & Potential Solutions Review

Component 4 - Recommended Action

​​​​​Comments on the Housing ASAP project can be provided here:

What is Attainable Housing?

Attainable Housing refers to rental or ownership housing provided by the private market with no government assistance that is:

• Adequate in condition (no major essential repairs needed),
• Appropriate in size (bedrooms appropriate for household),
• Reasonably priced (households earning between 80-120% of the Area Median Income should not need to spend more than 30% of their income on housing), and
• Available (a range of housing options)​

There are a number of affordable housing related initiatives currently being undertaken by the County, City of Orillia, City of Barrie, and Town of Collingwood that residents of the region may be interested in, and are invited to join the conversation at:

• 10 Year Affordable Housing and Homelessness Prevention Strategy Survey​
• City of Barrie Affordable Housing Strategy
• Town of Collingwood Affordable Housing
• City of Orillia Affordable Housing Action Plan

Public engagement details will be released in the coming weeks.