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MAKING BRAMPTON WORK AN ACTION AGENDA FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING

Leslie Woo Fadeel Sheikh Vijai Singh

Executive Summary Housing is economic infrastructure—and Brampton’s competitiveness depends on getting it right. Businesses invest where they can find and keep skilled workers. Workers build their lives where they can afford a suitable home near jobs, transit and essential services. Brampton is projected to grow by roughly 23% over the next 25 years, yet three in five residents say housing costs have led them to consider leaving Brampton within five years. 1

Without action, today’s housing shortage will become tomorrow’s labour shortage.

Brampton’s housing needs are unique and require a uniquely Brampton solution. The city has a young and diverse population, larger and multigenerational households, significant newcomer and student communities, and an economy built around health care, advanced manufacturing, logistics, skilled trades and entrepreneurship. Its housing strategy must reflect these realities rather than rely on approaches designed for denser downtown communities.

The challenge is not simply to build more homes. It is to build the right homes in the right places. Approximately 25.9% of Brampton households include five or more people—roughly three times the share in Mississauga and well above Toronto.2 Yet residents say the city has too many small high-rise units and too few family-sized options.3 Brampton needs more purpose-built rentals, family-sized apartments, missing-middle ownership housing and homes designed for multigenerational living.

The cost of inaction is already being felt. When workers cannot afford to live near their jobs, businesses—and the entire local economy—pay the price. Workers face longer commutes and greater housing insecurity. Employers find it harder and more expensive to recruit and retain talent. Congestion worsens, infrastructure comes under greater pressure and household spending moves away from the local economy. Workforce housing—suitable housing that moderate- and middle-income working households can afford for less than 30% of their before-tax income —is therefore more than a social priority. It is an investment in jobs, productivity and long-term prosperity.

This report offers a practical 11-point action agenda to get more workforce housing built. It calls for a dedicated Workforce Housing Partnership Office to bring governments, employers, builders and community partners together. It recommends new federal and provincial funding for construction, repair and conversion, along with better use of public land.

Creating a Workforce Housing Advantage

Creating a Workforce Housing Advantage, will give qualifying projects access to coordinated incentives, gentledensity zoning and faster approvals. A single City and Peel Region process would make development-charge relief easier to access and give builders greater certainty. Brampton should “protect and connect”—the employment lands that support jobs and investment while enabling attainable housing, commercial growth and better transit connections nearby. The report also identifies proven models that can be adapted locally, including transit-oriented housing, mixed-use development on public land, community land trusts, co-operative housing, co-living, non profit affordable home ownership development, and culturally appropriate intergenerational housing. Brampton does not need to wait for a perfect solution. Brampton will grow. The question is whether the workers driving that growth will be able to build their futures here. By treating workforce housing as essential economic infrastructure—and acting on solutions shaped by Brampton’s unique needs—the city can attract investment, retain talent and turn rapid growth into lasting prosperity.

Table of Contents Executive Summary

Table of Contents

Purpose of the Report

The Brampton Workforce

1. Brampton’s Distinct DNA

1.1 Younger Newcomer Energy

1.2 Larger Family Households

2. Workforce Housing In Brampton

2.1 Traditional Home Ownership Supply

2.2 Rental and Ownership Housing Deficit

2.3 Transit-Oriented Housing

3. Systemic Barriers

3.1 More Zoning For Gentle Density

3.2 Protecting Employment Lands

3.3 Reduced and Rationalized Development Charges

3.4 Coordinated Approval Timelines

Table of Contents 4. A 360° Approach

4.1 Strengthening Partnerships

4.2 Funding Workforce Housing

4.3 Creating A Workforce Housing Advantage

4.4 Connecting Workforce Housing To Employment & Economic Growth

4.5 Aligning Workforce Housing With Infrastructure & Complete Communities

5. Seven Delivery Models Worth Advancing

5.1 Equitable Transit-Oriented Affordable Housing (ETOAH) Lab

5.2 Creative Mixed-Use

5.3 Community Land Trusts (CLT)

5.4 Co-Operative Housing

5.5 Non-Profit Affordable Home Ownership Development

5.6 Studio Co-Living

5.7 Naturally Occuring Retirement Communities (NORCs)

6. Conclusion

Glossary of Terms

Acknowledgements

References & Citations

Purpose of the Report

Jaipaul Massey-Singh CEO Brampton Board of Trade Dear Partners and Stakeholders, On behalf of the Brampton Board of Trade, I am pleased to share our latest report addressing one of the most pressing economic and social priorities facing our local economy: the urgent need to expand the supply of attainable workforce housing across the City of Brampton. Year after year, our stakeholder engagement activities yield a consistent theme within our business community: affordability, and specifically affordable housing, is a business concern. While housing affordability must be considered across the entire continuum of housing needs, this report focuses specifically on housing attainability for Brampton’s middle-income workforce. That is, whether moderate- and middle-income working households can access housing that is suitable for their needs and within their financial means. These workers are needed for the economic development of our city.

JAIPAUL MASSEY-SINGH CEO For the purposes of this report, workforce housing refers to housing that is attainable and appropriately located for BRAMPTON BOARD OF TRADE individuals employed in our community—particularly workers with moderate or middle incomes across both rental and ownership markets. A vibrant, resilient local economy depends on ensuring that the people who work in Brampton can also afford to live here. This report makes a compelling case for urgent, coordinated action and sets out practical, tangible recommendations to accelerate the delivery of attainable homes. The insights and recommendations presented are grounded in extensive research and consultations conducted by the Brampton Board of Trade throughout the spring and summer of 2026. We are deeply grateful to the diverse group of business and community leaders, elected officials, government professionals, and key stakeholders whose perspectives helped shape this work. We look forward to collaborating with all levels of government, the development sector, and community partners to turn these recommendations into meaningful progress for our workforce and our city. Sincerely,

The Brampton Workforce Brampton’s long-term prosperity depends on its ability to attract, retain, and support the workers who power its economy. Workforce housing attainability is no longer simply a planning issue; it is a strategic economic priority that directly affects labour-force competitiveness, infrastructure readiness, productivity, and investment attraction. As one of Canada’s fastest-growing cities and a major economic engine within the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, Brampton’s planning has had to evolve to meet the needs of rapid population growth so that the workers who sustain its economy can continue to live in the city.

The Brampton Plan 2023 established key housing targets4:

30% of all new housing units will be affordable housing. 50% of all affordable housing will be made affordable to individuals with low-income; 50% of all new housing units will be provided through housing forms other than detached and semi-detached units; and 25% of all new housing will be rental tenure.

These targets support workforce housing development of a variety and support skills attraction and retention.

Brampton’s Distinct DNA

Brampton occupies a unique position within the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. It is both a gateway for newcomers and an increasingly important center for logistics, advanced manufacturing, entrepreneurship, and goods movement. Combined these elements give Brampton its charisma.

The city currently has a population of approximately 800,000 residents and is projected to reach roughly 985,000 people living in almost 291,000 housing units by 2051, up from 182,500 units today.5

This represents population growth of roughly 23% over the next quarter century and will fundamentally reshape local housing and labour-market needs. The city’s economic success depends on a broad spectrum of middle-income workers: nurses, teachers, first responders, skilled tradespeople, warehouse employees, logistics coordinators, entrepreneurs, and young professionals. Business surveys undertaken by the Brampton Board of Trade have consistently identified talent attraction and retention as one of the city’s most pressing economic concerns. Increasingly, employers report that workers evaluate communities not simply on wages, but on whether attainable housing exists near jobs, transit, childcare, and public services.

Source: Lexicon at the English-language Wikipedia

Younger Newcomer Energy

Nearly 25% of residents are nineteen years of age or younger, while only 12.5% are over sixty-five. This younger demographic profile means that Brampton is particularly exposed to rising housing costs and labour-market volatility affecting working-age households.

Brampton’s workforce is younger than that of many

The city is also distinguished by its immigrant population.

comparable Canadian cities.

According to the 2021 Census, 52.9% of Brampton residents were born outside Canada, a proportion comparable to Mississauga’s 53.2% and significantly higher than Toronto’s

The median age is 37.5 years,

46.6%.6 Between 2016 and 2021, more than 50,000

compared with 39.6 in Toronto

immigrants settled in Brampton, while non-permanent residents accounted for an additional 6.2% of the population.

and 40.6 in Montréal.6

Mississauga’s 53.2% and significantly higher than Toronto’s 46.6%.6 Between 2016 and 2021, more than 50,000 immigrants settled in Brampton, while non-permanent residents accounted for an additional 6.2% of the population. For many newcomers, home ownership attainability remains a significant consideration when planning careers and where to place their roots. The profile of Brampton’s workforce cannot be understood without considering students and non-permanent residents. Many international students and recent graduates work irregular shifts in logistics, warehousing, retail, and food services while simultaneously pursuing education and permanent residency pathways. These residents play a vital role in staffing the city’s twenty-four-hour economy, yet they remain among the groups most vulnerable to overcrowded and precarious housing conditions.

Larger Family Households

Household composition further differentiates Brampton from its neighbours. More than half of all households consist of couples with children. Large and multigenerational households are especially common: 25.9% of Brampton households contain five or more people, compared with 14.3% in Toronto and only 8.3% in Mississauga.6 Although the city’s median after-tax household income reached approximately $98,000 in 2020—higher than both Toronto and Mississauga—those earnings are spread across larger families, reducing disposable income on a per-capita basis. Brampton’s annual median after-tax household income per-capita reached approximately $28,580 in 2021 compared with $33,188 in Toronto and $36,098 in Mississauga,

Median After-Tax Household Income Per Capita $40K

presenting a sizable gap.6

$30K

Households that earn too much to qualify for affordable

$20K

housing programs ($83,000 maximum threshold) frequently remain unable to accumulate the savings required for home

$10K

ownership, trapping them in an increasingly competitive rental market, pricing them out of the housing market completely. With a median after-tax renter income of approximately

Brampton

Toronto Mississauga

$65,500, there is an urgency for more affordable rental options to support residents who cannot access homeownership where average after-tax incomes are almost double.

Average Household Size > 4-5 > 3-4 > 2-3 > 0-2 Median Total Household Income in 2020

Median Total Household Income in 2020 ($) > 137,029

115,822

Source: City of Brampton Geohub7

> 94,617

11 The middle-income worker can take on many different lifestyles. Middle-income households are considered those earning approximately 60%–120% of Area Median Income (AMI), representing workers who may earn too much to qualify for traditional affordable housing programs but not enough to afford suitable housing in the private market.8 These are representative of a bulk of Brampton’s workforce. Below outlines three unique Brampton workforce profiles highlighting the diverse needs of Brampton’s workforce.

Ahmed Khan

Priya Patel

Matt Johnson

Family Status: Common

Family Status: Single

Family Status: Married

Status: Foreign Student

Status: Canadian Citizen

Priya is a newcomer to

Matt has settled into a new

Canada, in pursuit of her

job as a director at a local

Ahmed recently got

bachelors in commerce.

distribution center after

approved for permanent

She lives alone and works a

growing up in the Peel

resident status in Brampton

part-time job on the side

Region.

is looking to start a family

between classes and on

with his wife.

weekends, totalling

He lives with his wife, child

$30,000 annually. She is

and parents and is

Currently they have a

looking to rent a small

expecting another child

household income of

apartment in Brampton

later this year. With his

$80,000 and are looking to

that is affordable on a

stable income of $105,000,

rent an apartment to start

student budget, located

he is looking to buy a home

their new family in

near transit as she can’t

large enough to support his

Brampton.

afford her own car.

growing family while

Law Status: Permament Resident

remaining close to his work. Ahmed is looking into

Priya has looked into

Mississauga, Caledon and

many illegal basements

Matt has looked into

Oakville for affordable

and unsuitable housing

Brampton, Mississauga

rental unit options.

options on her fixed

and Milton for

budget, with limited

townhomes with access

housing options.

to schools and community centers

12 increases in population, Brampton’s housing stock increasingly fails to meet the needs of its workforce.

Population and Dwelling Growth (2016 to 2021) 12%

Brampton experienced

10%

population growth of

10.59% between 2016 and 2021, substantially outpacing Mississauga’s growth rate of 1.5% and Toronto’s 4.3%.6

6% 4% 2% 0%

Population

Dwellings

In the same time frame, Brampton’s total private dwellings increased by only 8.61%, with an emphasis on townhomes over apartments. Further, of the 15,658 new dwellings in this period, only 820 (5.2%) are classified affordable. Demand for housing has therefore expanded much more quickly than supply.

Dwelling Growth by Type (2016 to 2021) 12% 10% 8% 6% 4% 2%

Ro w

ho us Ap e ar tm en t( Du Ap pl ar ex tm ) en t( <5 St Ap or ar ey tm s) en t( => 5 St or ey s)

0% Si ng le -d et ac he d ho Se us m e ide ta ch ed ho us e

Workforce Housing In Brampton (Traditional Home Ownership Supply)

Despite significant

52.6% of Brampton’s residential homes are single-detached houses, and the types of housing that’s being built, albeit are more diverse than in years past, still see a large proportion of single-detached homes (9.7%), eclipsed only by row homes (11.57%).

Household Size by Tenure 40K

30K

20K

10K

1 Person 2016 Renter

2 Persons 2021 Renter

3 Persons

4 Persons

2016 Owner

5+ Persons

2021 Owner

Between 2016 and 2021, ownership across household size increased by just under 10% while the rental markets have shifted massively, indicative of housing ownership becoming increasingly unattainable. Notably, the demand for rental units has increased significantly especially for 4 or 5+ person housing units, suggesting not only a demand for rental properties but, also larger family housing rental properties.9

14 Rental and Ownership Housing Deficit The limited variety of housing types has distorted the ownership and rental markets, forcing reliance on Additional Residential Units (ARUs), shared accommodations, and informal arrangements for a key subset of the Brampton workforce. While these options offer some flexibility and affordability, they primarily signal a systemic shortage. Issues of overcrowding, substandard conditions, and illegal units are widespread, particularly among newcomers and international students.

To address these safety and quality concerns, the City of Brampton launched the Residential Rental Licensing (RRL) Pilot Program in 2024 across five wards, requiring landlords with one to four units to obtain a rental license. By 2026, the program has expanded citywide, though measurable performance indicators have not been made publicly available, making it difficult to assess levels of success.

63% of International Students in Brampton Live in Unsuitable Housing According to Statistics Canada, 63% of international students in Brampton live in unsuitable housing, the highest rate in the country.10

Transit-Oriented Housing Overall, the fallout of suitable housing reaches far beyond individual occupants. Long commutes to employment hubs exacerbate traffic congestion and strain municipal infrastructure. Commuting burdens erode family and community time, while local employers struggle to recruit and retain talent. Ultimately, housing attainability is directly linked to broader economic competitiveness. The Province of Ontario and its agency Metrolinx, is undertaking a multi-billion dollar rapid transit expansion in the Greater Golden Horseshoe which will be an essential investment able to reduce commute times and in turn, economic productivity. Housing attainability must be inseparable from transit expansion investments, to attract and retain talent building Brampton’s competitive advantage. Workforce developments need to be built in-tandem with transit and infrastructure needs to connect workforce to employment and attract skilled talent.

Systemic Barriers Systemic barriers in municipal land-development approvals are obstacles built into the overall approval system—not merely a single mistake or poorly prepared application. They arise from how municipal rules, procedures, staffing, responsibilities, and incentives work together. A barrier is more likely to be systemic when it is recurring, affects many applications, persists despite individual staff efforts, or results from the structure of the process itself. There are some systemic obstacles facing in Brampton that are worth noting.

More Zoning for Gentle Density The main opportunity for the delivery of attainable housing is zoning. When zoning enables a range of different housing types, increased densities, multi-use development and the proximity of institutional uses all to support a high quality of life. 52.6% of Brampton’s private dwellings are single-detached houses indicating a limited set of options for mediumhigh-density housing options.

The City of Brampton has demonstrated decisive leadership in modernizing its urban landscape through the passage of Comprehensive Zoning By-law 14-2026, replacing a fragmented 2004 framework.12 At its core, the policy shifts the municipality away from auto-dependent sprawl and toward vibrant, 15-minute complete communities by consolidating decades of redundant zoning categories into a clear, unified structure spanning residential, commercial, mixed-use, employment, institutional, and open space uses.

78.8% of dwelling types in Brampton are low-density developments, which limits the variety of housing options available to a growing and diverse workforce.11

To meaningfully unlock "missing middle" housing while safeguarding established neighbourhood character, the by-law introduces targeted gentle density rather than blunt, blanket upzoning. It permits as-of-right fourplexes along key transit corridors, expands the allowable size of detached garden suites up to 100 m², and pre-zones critical Major Transit Station Areas for higher densities and mixed uses. This transformative progress toward building the housing needed for the Brampton workforce is the right step but the consistent application now has become urgent.

16 Protecting Employment Lands While unlocking residential density is critical, safeguarding Brampton’s employment lands is equally vital to longterm prosperity. A cornerstone of Brampton’s success in attracting global employers has been the ready availability of industrial, office and commercial land. Workforce housing delivers the greatest economic return when these workers can live near the businesses that employ them. Preserving the roughly 13.2% of city land designated for core employment alongside the 5.2% allocated for mixeduse employment is essential for supporting industry, logistics, offices, and large-scale commercial operations.11 Yet, amid an urgent housing shortage, municipal planners face a difficult balancing act: resisting the pressure to convert prime employment parcels into residential tracts while simultaneously delivering the attainable housing needed to sustain the local labour pool. Brampton is a key part of the Pearson Economic Zone (PEZ)—a 200-squarekilometre employment engine also spanning Mississauga, Vaughan, Caledon, and Toronto. Generating approximately $70.6 billion annually—nearly 7% of Ontario’s GDP—and employing over 500,000 workers, the PEZ is a pillar of regional economic competitiveness. The PEZ hosts prime employers able to benefit from workforce housing that allows their employees to live near where they work. Integrating as-of-right mixeduse residential and office developments in these districts co-locates administrative operations with key manufacturing and logistics hubs while delivering attainable housing on the same site. This dual approach safeguards core industrial lands, strengthens talent retention, and directly connects local economic growth to proximate, accessible housing. Employment lands in Brampton

Without a deliberate, coordinated strategy to build attainable housing adjacent to these industrial areas, housing for Brampton’s workforce will remain the single greatest threat to the zone’s long-term economic momentum. In the Brampton Board of Trade’s Building A Transportation Network For A City On The Rise, a proposed western rail connection to the UP Express spur would allow trains from the west (e.g., Kitchener–Guelph–Brampton) to directly serve Toronto Pearson International Airport and adjacent residential neighbourhoods.13

Reduced and Rationalized Development Charges Increasing the supply of workforce housing will require reforms to Brampton’s planning and approvals system alongside investments in new housing. Industry organizations, municipal associations, and provincial housing task forces have consistently identified lengthy approvals processes, rising development charges, and uncertain consultation requirements as barriers to housing delivery. The Ontario Housing Affordability Task Force recommended streamlining approvals, reducing regulatory complexity, modernizing planning systems, and creating more predictable processes to accelerate housing construction.14

Rapid Transition for Reduced Development Charges Brampton has higher development charges across non-rental housing types against Mississauga and Toronto, creating a barrier for developers in the region. For purpose-built rentals, both Brampton and Mississauga have removed all development charges on large rental units, through the Development Charges Incentive Program (DCIP). Under the Development Charge Reduction Program, recent federal and provincial programs have explicitly linked infrastructure funding to municipal commitments to reduce development charges, recognizing the impact these costs have on housing attainability and project viability.15 CMHC research similarly concludes that high development charges increase housing costs and that meaningful reductions can improve the financial viability of new housing projects.16

18 Brampton’s DC incentives for Purpose-Built Rental housing remain competitive relative to other jurisdictions as a result of a 2025 council decision.

Development Charges by Rental Housing Type $70K $60K $50K $40K $30K $20K $10K

Br a M mp is si ton ss au To ga r Br ont o a M mp is si ton ss au To ga r Br ont o a M mp is si ton ss au To ga r Br ont o a M mp is si ton ss au To ga ro nt o

Single/Semi

Townhouse

Large Apartment (>750 Sq. Ft)

2026

Small Apartment (<750 Sq. Ft)

2027

That said, non-rental DCs, even with the June 2026 council motion to reduce them by 30%, remain slightly high relative to neighbouring municipalities Mississauga and Toronto.

Development Charges by Non-Rental Housing Type $140K $120K $100K $80K $60K $40K $20K

Br a M mp is si ton ss au To ga r Br ont o a M mp is si ton ss au To ga r Br ont o a M mp is si ton ss au To ga r Br ont o a M mp is si ton ss au To ga ro nt o

Single/Semi

Townhouse

2026

Large Apartment (>750 Sq. Ft)

Small Apartment (<750 Sq. Ft)

2027

19 2

A More Efficient Two-Tier System The City of Mississauga and the Region of Peel recently introduced development charge (DC) incentives—including a 50% reduction on all residential builds and a 100% waiver on purpose-built rentals—guided by the Partners in Homebuilding: Mayor’s Housing Task Force Report.17 Funded via the Ontario Building Faster Fund, federal Housing Accelerator Fund, and Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund rather than property taxes, this offers a clear blueprint for Brampton. While Brampton’s pending Canada-Ontario Development Charge Reduction Program application proposes the minimum 30% cut, existing local incentives remain bogged down by red tape. Under Brampton's Development Charges Incentive Program (DCIP), purpose-built rentals qualify for 50% to 100% municipal DC reductions, depending on housing type. However, discretionary caps and redundant layers of review encumber delivery. Because Brampton and Peel operate under a two-tiered system, builders must complete separate applications and approvals for municipal (50%–100%) and regional (50%–100%) discounts, thereby duplicating administrative work, extending approval timelines, and increasing project costs leading to month and sometimes year-long delays in housing developments.

Coordinated Approval Timelines In 2023, the City of Brampton undertook a Development Engineering Process Review, resulting in a more consistent and transparent development approval process, ranking fourth in speed by the Building and Land Development Industry (BILD) among the GTA.18 19 Despite this leadership, developers continue to report delays, ambiguity and poor coordination across the permitting approval timelines, with the region.

Bulky process causes frustration across different not-for-profit organizations and their endeavors to utilize that land. The challenge with Brampton is the two-tier municipality. There's a lot of time that's used to circulate and discuss and receive feedback from the region that doesn't always necessarily align with the city's commentary, and so reconciling that can be a timely experience, and that ends up being costly as well. Non-Profit Housing Developer

The City of Brampton can also learn from the City of Toronto’s Quarterly Development Review Timeline Metrics and the City of Mississauga’s Planning Data Hub, which provides clear updates on timelines for approvals. This provides developers a set of performance metrics on how long an approval process may take to support their construction timelines. Clear metrics and performance data provide developers assurance over planning and logistics timings to accelerate new housing starts.

We had a situation where we were all the way through site plan approval with the city level. We thought that we had that done at the region level as well, and then, someone in the city staff realized there'd been one report that had not been circulated at the regional level, and that cost us at least eight months. Non-Profit Housing Developer

A 360° Approach

Addressing Brampton’s workforce housing challenge will require a coordinated 360° approach to look well beyond conventional housing policy or the short term. No single intervention can resolve the city’s housing shortage, nor can responsibility rest with the municipal government alone. A comprehensive response must align housing, infrastructure, transit, economic development, and employment planning. A shared responsibility for Workforce Housing means no single government, sector or policy intervention can deliver the workforce housing Brampton needs in isolation. Increasing attainability will require coordinated action across governments and active participation from the private, not-for-profit and institutional sectors. The recommendations that follow are therefore based on a shared-responsibility model. The City of Brampton has an important leadership role in planning, approvals, local coordination and identifying development opportunities and the Region of Peel has an important role in providing community housing, but both cannot—and should not—be expected to deliver workforce housing alone. The Governments of Ontario and Canada must provide the funding, financing, infrastructure and policy tools that enable projects to proceed at scale. Private and not-for-profit housing providers must bring forward and deliver projects, while employers and other institutions can contribute to identifying workforce needs and creating new partnership opportunities. The objective is not simply better coordination, but a clearer division of responsibility in which each partner uses the tools, resources and expertise it is best positioned to provide.

Strengthening Partnerships The success of any strategic action to address the current and growing housing crisis will hinge on the ability to establish and institutionalize stronger partnerships among the many actors including employers, educational institutions, developers, non-profit organizations, transit agencies and other levels of government. The City’s workforce housing challenge is compounded as there are many interdependencies amongst competing land uses, infrastructure deficits, such as public transit. Workforce housing policy must therefore be understood as a shared responsibility across sectors and governments.

Recommendation 1

Create an Attainable Housing Partnership Office The City of Brampton should establish a dedicated Attainable Housing Partnership Office focused on accelerating the delivery of attainable housing. The Office would serve as a central point for identifying and advancing workforce housing opportunities, breaking down organizational silos, and coordinating the actions needed to move projects forward more quickly. Working across City departments and with other orders of government, the private sector and the not-for-profit sector, the Office would provide dedicated intergovernmental coordination and align housing opportunities with the investments, infrastructure, approvals and partnerships required to bring them to fruition. Its success should ultimately be measured by its ability to translate collaboration and coordination into the timely delivery of more attainable workforce housing in Brampton. Part of the Office’s mandate should include City of Brampton and Region of Peel coordination for a dedicated Workforce Housing Fast Track to accelerate the approval and construction of qualified workforce housing projects. Qualifying projects should receive a single City lead responsible for coordinating the application across departments, priority processing, clearly defined approval timelines and early identification and resolution of issues that could delay development. Where appropriate, the Fast Track should also facilitate early review of innovative construction approaches—including volumetric and panelized modular construction, mass timber and prefabricated building components—that have the potential to reduce construction costs and accelerate delivery. The objective should not simply be to move applications to the front of the queue, but to City of Brampton, Governments of create a coordinated pathway through the development process that actively identifies Ontario and Canada, Region, private, Who should be involved? and removes barriers to getting workforce housing built, cutting across all partners. non-profit, employers/institutions

Funding Workforce Housing While municipalities have an important role in creating the local conditions for workforce housing to be built, the scale of investment required to make many projects viable extends beyond the fiscal capacity and funding tools available to municipalities. The federal and provincial governments have both the financial capacity and policy tools to help close this gap and leverage investment from municipal, private-sector and not-for-profit partners.

Recommendation 2

Establish a Dedicated Capital Fund to Accelerate Workforce Housing The Governments of Canada and Ontario should establish a dedicated capital funding stream to accelerate the development of workforce housing in Brampton, including through additional investment in and expansion of the Brampton Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan. The Brampton Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan is a $4-million City program that provides capital funding to non-profits to pilot innovative, affordable housing models and expand housing options for priority populations in Brampton, primarily geared towards non-rental developments and Single Room Occupancy (SRO) rental units. The funding should be designed to help viable workforce housing projects move from concept to construction by addressing financing gaps and leveraging investment from other partners. It should support a range of delivery models, including partnerships among governments, private developers, employers and not-for-profit housing providers, as well as innovative mixed-income and mixed-use developments that make effective use of existing land, infrastructure and community assets. Importantly, federal and provincial funding should complement —not replace—municipal leadership. Brampton would identify and help advance priority workforce housing opportunities locally, while senior governments provide the capital and financing tools needed to bring those opportunities to fruition. Governments of Ontario and Canada,

Who should be involved?

City of Brampton, private capital and non-profit housing providers

23 Recommendation 3

Establish Dedicated Capital Funding for the Repair, Conversion and Redevelopment of Existing Assets for Workforce Housing Building new housing is only one part of increasing the supply of attainable workforce housing in Brampton. Existing housing and other buildings represent an important opportunity to preserve existing homes, improve their quality and suitability, and create additional workforce housing through conversion, intensification and redevelopment. This is particularly important where existing assets are located near transit, municipal services and other enabling infrastructure, where new or additional housing can be delivered while making better use of investments already in place. The Governments of Canada and Ontario, working with the City of Brampton, should establish and coordinate dedicated capital funding to support the repair, conversion, redevelopment of existing housing and other suitable underutilized assets for workforce housing. Funding should be accessible to non-profit and private-sector housing providers and structured to help overcome the significant upfront capital costs that can prevent otherwise viable projects from proceeding. Eligible investments could include the rehabilitation and modernization of existing affordable rental and ownership housing, conversion of suitable non-residential buildings to residential use, and the redevelopment or intensification of existing properties to create additional workforce housing. This approach would complement the capital funding proposed in Recommendation 2 by ensuring that investment in new workforce housing is accompanied by investment that makes better use of Brampton’s existing buildings, land and infrastructure. Done effectively, it can help preserve existing housing, improve its quality and suitability, and create additional attainable homes in established communities.

Who should be involved?

Governments of Ontario and Canada, City of Brampton, private land owners

Recommendation 4 Recommendation 4

Use Public Land as a Strategic Investment in Workforce Housing Capital funding is not the only way governments can improve the financial viability of workforce housing. Land is a critical component of the capital required to deliver housing, and public land can therefore function as a form of public investment. Making publicly owned land available at below-market cost can reduce development costs and the amount of capital that housing providers must assemble, improving the viability of projects that deliver attainable workforce housing. The opportunity extends across all orders of government. The City of Brampton, Region of Peel, Government of Ontario, Government of Canada and other public agencies collectively own land and assets that may have the potential to support workforce housing. Public-sector partners should work together to identify suitable sites and determine where land can be contributed, leased or otherwise made available at below-market cost in exchange for defined and lasting workforce-housing outcomes. Particular emphasis should be given to address the long-term affordability of the assets and acknowledge that public retention of the land is only one avenue to achieve this. The City of Brampton, together with the Governments of Ontario and Canada, the Region of Peel and other publicsector landowners, should establish a coordinated approach to using and acquiring public land as a strategic investment in workforce housing. This should include identifying suitable lands already in public ownership as well as opportunities to strategically acquire land where public ownership can enable future workforce housing development. Combined with previously recommended funding, this creates a strategic pathway for below-market land transfers for attainable housing developments. Long-term land leases should be considered where appropriate, allowing governments to reduce upfront development costs while retaining public ownership and securing conditions related to attainability, tenure and the duration of the workforce-housing benefit. Opportunities should also be explored to co-locate housing with existing or planned public facilities and institutional uses. Strategic acquisition is equally important. Where planned transit, infrastructure or public investment is expected to create future development opportunities, governments should consider acquiring land before escalating land values make workforce housing more difficult to deliver. Public ownership can preserve these opportunities and allow land to be combined with capital funding, financing and private or not-for-profit investment when projects are ready to proceed. The objective is to treat public land as part of the capital stack for workforce housing—using existing public assets and strategic acquisition to reduce development costs, leverage investment from other partners and secure longterm public value.

Who should be involved?

All levels of government, their agencies and institutions

Creating a Workforce Housing Advantage Recommendation 5

Establish a Workforce Housing Project Designation and Incentive Package Brampton should therefore create a Workforce Housing Advantage: a coordinated set of approvals, incentives and development tools that provides tangible benefits to projects that deliver measurable workforce housing outcomes. Rather than applying incentives broadly, the objective should be to use the tools available to the City and its government partners to make qualifying workforce housing projects easier, faster and more financially viable to build. The Workforce Housing Advantage gives Brampton a unique competitive edge to support and attract the development of attainable workforce housing. The principle is straightforward: where a development commits to delivering a defined and lasting workforce housing benefit, the development system should recognize and reward that commitment. The following recommendations combine targeted workforce housing interventions with practical improvements to the existing approvals and incentive system. The City of Brampton should establish clear criteria for designating qualifying Workforce Housing Projects and provide those projects with access to a coordinated package of municipal incentives and development benefits. Eligibility should be tied to measurable workforce housing outcomes - regardless of tenure - and address income levels served, housing costs, suitability of the housing provided and the length of time units will remain attainable to moderate- and middle-income households. The level of incentive should reflect the scale and duration of the workforce housing benefit being delivered. Rather than requiring proponents to navigate multiple incentive programs independently, designated projects should have access to a coordinated package of available tools. Depending on the project, these could include development charge and fee reductions or deferrals, planning and building fee incentives, appropriate parking flexibility, increased density or other planning incentives, access to municipal land or capital programs, and expedited approvals. In effect, the designation would establish a clear proposition: projects that deliver meaningful and lasting workforce housing benefits receive meaningful development advantages in return.

Who should be involved?

City of Brampton, Region of Peel, Governments of Ontario and Canada

26 Recommendation 6

Accelerate and Expand on Brampton’s Zoning Reforms Importantly, Brampton is not starting from scratch. Through Housing Brampton, the Brampton Plan, and Comprehensive Zoning By-law 14-2026, the City has already established a strong policy direction toward greater housing diversity, gentle intensification, complete communities and increased density in appropriate locations. The priority now is to create the streamlined processes that can deliver on the reforms and thereby translating the additional development capacity created into housing that actually gets built. Despite recent efforts, the implementation of zoning reforms still remains a hurdle to workforce housing, when coordination and integration of zoning decisions with those of financial investments, development incentives, and public infrastructure, are not streamlined. The City of Brampton should speed implementation of zoning reforms, and expand opportunities for as-ofright gentle-density and missing-middle housing where appropriate. This would generate the Workforce Housing Advantage proposed in this report.

Expand as-of-right gentle-density and missing-middle housing where existing and planned infrastructure can support growth; Enable appropriate transitions between established neighbourhoods and higher-density transit corridors and centres; Support mixed-use development that brings housing closer to employment, transit, services and community amenities; Review parking, setbacks, coverage and other standards that may unnecessarily constrain appropriate gentle-density housing; and Monitor whether increased zoning capacity is translating into housing production and address remaining barriers where it is not.

For workforce housing, success should not be measured by additional zoning capacity alone. The opportunity is to combine Brampton’s zoning reforms with targeted incentives, capital and accelerated approvals so that more of the housing enabled by those reforms is both built and attainable to Brampton’s moderate- and middle-income workforce.

Who should be involved?

City of Brampton

27 Recommendation 7

Create a “One Process, One Approval” Approach to Development Charge Incentives for Workforce Housing with the Region of Peel Development charges and the administrative processes associated with accessing available incentives can affect the financial viability of Workforce Housing projects. Where a project qualifies for development charge reductions, exemptions, deferrals or other incentives at both the City and Regional levels, those benefits should be accessible through a simple and coordinated process. The City of Brampton should work with the Region of Peel to establish a “One Process, One Approval” approach for development charge incentives available to qualifying workforce housing projects. Housing providers should not have to navigate separate municipal and regional processes to determine and access the development charge incentives available to a workforce housing project. Instead, proponents should submit a single application, with the City and Region coordinating eligibility assessment, approval and administration behind the scenes. The process should also provide proponents with early certainty about the development charges and incentives that will apply to a project, allowing those benefits to be incorporated into financing decisions and the project’s capital stack. By reducing duplication and providing greater certainty about development costs, a coordinated approach would help reduce the time, cost and risk associated with delivering workforce housing and make it easier for housing providers to bring qualifying projects forward.

Who should be involved? City of Brampton and Region of Peel

28 Recommendation 8

Establish Transparent and Predictable Development Approval Standards For workforce housing projects, time is a cost. Approval delays and uncertainty can increase financing and carrying costs, affect construction schedules and ultimately undermine the ability to deliver housing at attainable prices or rents. The City of Brampton should establish and publish clear approval standards and target timelines for qualifying workforce housing projects, covering key approvals including rezonings, site plans and building permits. Projects should benefit from clear application requirements, coordinated review across City departments, early identification of issues and defined escalation mechanisms where timelines are at risk. The City should publicly report its performance against these standards and use the results to identify and address recurring bottlenecks. Greater certainty and accountability would reduce development risk and carrying costs and, together with the Workforce Housing Fast Track, help qualifying projects move more quickly from proposal to construction.

Who should be involved?

City of Brampton and Region of Peel

Connecting Workforce Housing To Employment & Economic Growth Workforce housing delivers its greatest economic benefit when it connects Brampton’s workforce to employment. A 360° approach must therefore consider not only the supply and cost of housing, but its relationship to where jobs are located and where future employment growth can occur. This requires protecting Brampton’s most important employment lands while ensuring that attainable housing, office and commercial development, and transportation connections are planned to reinforce one another.

Recommendation 9

Protect Employment Lands and Enable Workforce Housing on Adjacent Lands Brampton has some of the most important concentrations of employment land in the region. Its continued success depends both on protecting the employment lands required for industrial, logistics, manufacturing and other employment uses and ensuring that workers can access attainable housing within reasonable proximity of those jobs. Pressure for additional housing should not result in the conversion of strategically important employment lands within Brampton. Instead, Brampton should use its land-use planning tools to enable greater housing density on appropriate adjacent and nearby lands, creating opportunities for workers to live closer to employment without compromising the lands needed to accommodate jobs and future economic growth. The City of Brampton should protect core employment lands including those within the Pearson Economic Zone (PEZ), from residential conversion while identifying and pre-zoning appropriate adjacent and nearby lands for higher-density and mixed-use development that includes attainable workforce housing. This should include identifying suitable transition areas, mixed-use corridors, Major Transit Station Areas and other adjacent or nearby sites where additional residential density can be accommodated without creating land-use conflicts with industrial and employment operations. In these locations, zoning should support a mix of housing types, tenure, and densities together with compatible commercial and employment uses, with qualifying workforce-housing projects able to access the incentives and expedited approvals proposed through the Workforce Housing Advantage. Land-use planning should also reinforce transit and transportation connections between these housing locations and employment, so that proximity translates into practical and convenient access to jobs. The objective is a deliberate “protect and connect” approach i.e. protect the lands Brampton needs to sustain and grow employment including those within the Pearson Economic Zone, while enabling appropriate adjacent lands to accommodate more attainable workforce housing for the workers those employment areas depend upon. City of Brampton, Government of Ontario, Region

Who should be involved?

of Peel, Metrolinx, municipal transit agencies, employers, landowners and housing providers

30 Recommendation 10

Align Office and Commercial Development with Workforce Housing Growth

A successful workforce-housing strategy must also consider whether Brampton is creating sufficient employment opportunities close to where its growing workforce lives. Providing attainable housing without creating the space needed to accommodate new and growing businesses risks reinforcing patterns in which Brampton residents must travel outside the city for employment. Brampton therefore needs a diverse supply of office, commercial and mixed-use employment space capable of accommodating professional services, corporate functions, technology and innovation businesses, small and growing firms, and the administrative and service functions associated with the city’s industrial economy. The City of Brampton, working with the business and development communities and other orders of government, should align the growth of workforce housing with the creation and retention of office, commercial and mixed-use employment space, particularly in strategic growth areas and locations well served by transit. This means planning for jobs and housing concurrently rather than sequentially. Major Transit Station Areas, mixed-use centres and other strategic growth areas should be planned to accommodate both greater housing density—including attainable workforce housing—and the office and commercial space required to attract employers and support local job creation. Incentives and development tools should also be examined where necessary to prevent employment space from being consistently displaced by higher-value residential development. The objective should be to create complete economic communities where attainable housing, employment, transit, services and amenities reinforce one another. Done effectively, workforce housing becomes not only a response to Brampton’s housing challenge, but a tool for attracting investment and talent, increasing opportunities for residents to work closer to home, and strengthening Brampton’s long-term economic competitiveness. City of Brampton, Brampton’s business community,

Who should be involved?

private developers and landowners, Government of Ontario, Region of Peel, major employers and institutions

Aligning Workforce Housing With Infrastructure & Complete Communities Recommendation 11

Prioritize Workforce Housing Around Existing and Planned Infrastructure Major investments in transit, health care, schools, parks and other infrastructure create opportunities to accommodate additional housing while providing residents with access to the services and amenities that support a high quality of life. They can also increase surrounding land values, making it important to identify workforce housing opportunities early and ensure moderate- and middle-income households can share in the benefits created by public investment. The City of Brampton, together with the Governments of Ontario and Canada, private and not-for-profit housing providers, and major institutions, should proactively identify and advance workforce housing opportunities around existing and planned infrastructure and underutilized assets. The City, through the proposed Housing Partnership Development Office, should identify priority locations and convene the partners required to advance them. Provincial and federal governments should align infrastructure and housing investments and provide capital and financing tools. Private and not-forprofit partners should bring forward development opportunities and delivery expertise, while major employers and institutions should identify opportunities to leverage their land, facilities and future investment plans to support workforce housing. Priority should be given to opportunities for intensification, conversion, redevelopment and mixed-use development in locations well served by transit, employment and community amenities. These projects should have coordinated access to the capital, zoning, incentives and expedited approvals proposed elsewhere in this report. The objective is to use Brampton’s existing assets and planned public investments as a platform for partnership—bringing together land, infrastructure, capital and development capacity to create more workforce housing in complete communities.

Who should be involved?

City of Brampton, Peel Region, Governments of Ontario and Canada, Metrolinx, VIA development industry

Equitable Transit-Oriented Affordable Housing (ETOAH) Lab

Seven Delivery Models Worth Advancing A number of Canadian and international precedents demonstrate how workforce housing can be delivered through innovative partnerships and alternative ownership models. This report identifies 7 key models addressing attainable workforce housing across family sizes, incomes and ownership models. Each model leverages an existing set of proven projects, resolving specific issues in the Brampton context.

The Hamilton Equitable Transit-Oriented Affordable Housing (ETOAH) Lab was a CMHC-funded initiative launched in March 2023 to create sustainable financing and protect affordable housing along Hamilton's planned Light Rail Transit (LRT) corridor. As part of the National Housing Strategy's Solutions Labs program, the goal was to identify and codevelop innovative financing solutions to preserve existing affordable units and build new ones near rapid transit lines, preventing low-income displacement. The initiative successfully established a blended capital fund (seeded with public and philanthropic investments) targeting over 120 affordable housing units along the Hamilton LRT B-line, which has now scaled nationally into Canadian Alliance for Transit-Connected Housing (CATCH). CATCH is now implementing this model Canada-wide, ensuring that transit investment supports, rather than undermines, housing affordability. CATCH brings municipalities, community housing providers, investors and other partners together to coordinate housing and transit planning, while using innovative blended finance and flexible capital to acquire, develop and preserve affordable housing near transit. The model is designed to act early— before rising land values associated with new transit investment lead to the loss of affordable housing—and can help communities align transit expansion with long-term affordability and inclusion. Brampton Potential: Prioritize publicly owned or underutilized land near GO stations, the Hazel McCallion LRT and future rapid-transit corridors for attainable mixedincome housing.

Recommended Partnerships: An ETOAH model would need cooperation from all three levels of government and the community integrate transportation enabling infrastructure with affordable housing.

Partner

Role in Partnership

Government of Ontario/ Metrolinx

Ensure that Metrolinx rapid transit expansion projects engage municipal officials to address not only mobility needs but workforce housing needs Leverage transit investments create transit-oriented affordable workforce housing

CATCH

Partner with the City of Brampton to convene all levels of governments, housing providers, transit agencies, investors and community partners Facilitate local collaborations to coordinate planning efforts Provide research, resources and knowledge-sharing to support transitconnected affordable housing Mobilize social finance and blended capital to support non-market housing near transit corridors

Land Developers

Contribute private financing, development expertise and construction capacity Advocate for a Brampton Workforce Housing Advantage Meet municipal targets for attainable workforce housing

Private Equity Investors

Provide patient, long-term capital for affordable and workforce housing projects Contribute to blended-finance structures that combine public funding and private investment

The creative mixed-use model brings together public and private investments to co-locate

Creative Mixed-Use

housing developments with existing forms of public infrastructure. For example, the Infrastructure Institute has listed developments above fire stations, community centers and libraries to create higher density neighborhoods that remain affordable. This approach works well to leverage existing infrastructure to build density with accessible social services and community supports. Brampton Potential: Explore adaptation of Brampton social infrastructure including schools, fire houses, libraries and community centers for intensification with attainable workforce housing.

Recommended Partnerships: Critical city engagement and zoning reforms can enable non-profit housing providers to develop existing city assets into suitable mixed-use units that remain affordable and connected to community infrastructure.

Partner

Role in Partnership

City of Brampton

Identify underutilized City-owned sites and public facilities suitable for mixed-use redevelopment Optimize workforce housing potential into the planning and redevelopment of social infrastructure including libraries, community centres, and fire stations Evaluate the use of long-term below-market land leases

Real Estate Developers and Builders

Innovate through more diverse and mixed-use pro formas for new institutional, commercial and residential development Consider alternative models of construction to integrate mixed use innovation

Non-Profit Providers

Own or operate affordable units to preserve long-term affordability Partner with the City to deliver community-serving spaces within mixed-use developments Ensure developments respond to local community needs

Community Land Trusts (CLT)

Peel Cheshire Homes (Brampton) Inc.

Community land trusts (CLT) represent a strong long-term options. Community land trusts preserve long-term housing affordability by holding land in a non-profit structure. A community housing land trust is a non-profit organization that owns and manages land to provide permanently affordable housing and community spaces. It separates the ownership of the land from the buildings on it—the trust owns the land, while residents or nonprofits own or lease the housing, keeping prices low and protected from real estate speculation. The Kensington Market and Parkdale land trust models in Toronto illustrate how non-profit ownership structures can preserve affordability, protect local businesses, and strengthen neighbourhood identity in the face of rising land values. The Hamilton Community Land Trust demonstrates the importance of neighbourhood engagement and volunteer leadership, while Vancouver’s Hogan’s Alley Society offers an example of culturally responsive housing and community stewardship. In neighbouring York Region, the Housing for All Land Trust by Blue Door, aims to deliver and protect hundreds of affordable housing units while integrating essential support services for vulnerable individuals and families. The program is backed by seed funding from the United Way, municipal contributions, and significant grants like a $1-million TD Ready Challenge grant. Although some aspects of these models may not transfer directly to Brampton, they provide valuable lessons regarding long-term affordability, community ownership, and anti-displacement strategies. Opportunities exist to partner with local community organizations and not for profit housing providers such as Peel Living, Services and Housing in the Province (SHIP), St. Leonard's Place Peel, Peel Cheshire Homes (Brampton) Inc., and United Achievers Non-Profit Housing Corporation to explore opportunities to deliver workforce housing through the land trust model. Brampton Potential: Explore potential partnerships with existing public and not for profit housing providers, learning from the neighbouring Town of Newmarket.

Recommended Partnerships: Led by community and non-profit organizations to either develop, purchase or receive public or private land for long-term community control. Housing can be developed, rented, or sold while affordability protections remain attached to the land through the community ownership structure.

Partner

Role in Partnership

City of Brampton

Convene the initiative; identify municipal land; Provide long-term land leases or discounted land; Expedite planning approvals; Offer fee, tax, parking or density incentives; and Align with Housing Brampton.

Region of Peel and Peel Living

Act as housing-system and development partner; Contribute land or redevelopment opportunities; Coordinate subsidies, tenant selection and supportive services; and Potentially provide back-office property-management capacity.

Government of Ontario

Provide acquisition and affordable housing funding Develop programs that support non-profit acquisition of existing rental housing Enable municipal and community organizations to access surplus public land

Community and Non-Profit Housing Providers

Acquire and hold land or housing permanently outside the speculative market Establish community-based governance structures Maintain affordability through long-term covenants and resale restrictions Engage residents in decisions regarding neighbourhood development Develop, own or operate the buildings situated on CLT land.

Co-Operative Housing Co-Operative Housing represents another long-term housing option for local residents that remains affordable. Cooperative Housing often involves joint membership into a co-operative housing unit where members do not own the property but pay a non-profit membership to live there, giving them decision making power on how the cooperative housing unit is run. Under these models, prices are based on the cost of the co-op remaining affordable and below-market. Co-operative housing is particularly well suited to Brampton because the model is already operating successfully in the city. With approximately 640 existing units across 7 co-operative housing communities, Brampton has an established local foundation, experienced organizations, and an existing resident base that can inform future development. These include: Bayanihan Non Profit Cooperative Homes Inc.; Frank McLaughlin Co-Op; Chegoggin Co-Operative Homes; Northwood Park Co-Op and Mondragon Co-Operative Homes Inc. Scaling a model that already has a presence in Brampton would allow the City to expand affordable housing while strengthening resident participation and community ownership. This makes co-operative housing a practical option for delivering additional long-term affordable housing rather than relying exclusively on conventional market development. Brampton Potential: Support the expansion of co-operative housing through public land, development incentives, and partnerships with established housing co-operatives.

Recommended Partnerships: Residents become members of the housing co-operative and participate in its governance. The co-operative owns or manages the housing collectively rather than individual residents owning their units. Housing charges are structured around the costs of operating and maintaining the community. Members have a direct voice in decisions affecting their housing and community.

Partner

Role in Partnership

City of Brampton

Expand the existing co-operative housing stock by identifying Cityowned sites suitable for new co-op developments Provide long-term, below-market land leases to co-operative housing providers Use the Brampton Housing Catalyst Capital Project to support belowmarket development Create expedited approvals for co-operative and other non-profit housing projects

Peel/Halton Co-operative Housing Federation

Provide technical expertise and governance support based on existing co-operative housing experience in Brampton Continue developing co-op housing units Identify opportunities to expand existing co-operative communities Support the formation and training of new housing co-operatives

Non-Profit Affordable Home Ownership Development

Habtat for Humanity GTA, William Street

The Non-Profit Affordable Home Ownership Development model provides an alternative to both conventional market-rate development and traditional subsidized rental housing. Under this model, non-profit housing organizations act as developers or development partners, combining public land, government funding, philanthropic capital, private-sector construction expertise and affordable financing to create homes that can be purchased by households who are otherwise priced out of homeownership. This model is already established in Brampton with Habitat for Humanity GTA being delivered at the following projects: William Street: On July 23, 2026, Habitat for Humanity GTA celebrated a welcome home ceremony for 12 families moving into new four-storey stacked townhomes located at 25 William Street in downtown Brampton. Countryside (80 Zamek Street): Construction continues at this newer affordable homeownership community, which brings 15 stacked townhomes to Brampton for families priced out of the traditional market.

The Habitat for Humanity Home Ownership Model Sweat Equity: Partner families work side by side with volunteers to build or improve their own homes. No-Profit, Interest-Free Loans: Homebuyers purchase the home through an affordable, zero-interest mortgage. Capped Payments: Monthly mortgage installments are set so they do no exceed 30% of the household’s gross income. Revolving Fund: Mortgage payments made by homeowners go into a “Fund for Humanity” that is reinvested to build more homes for other families in need. Financial Education: Buyers complete mandatory homeowner education classes covering maintenance, budgeting, and financial management.

Habitat for Humanity GTA’s Program develops communities in partnership with governments, developers, donors and other organizations and provides eligible households with affordable financing to purchase their homes. Its model combines professional construction and trades with volunteer labour, donated materials and government and private-sector contributions. This model supports the development of new housing units and preserves affordable home ownership by providing zero upfront cost and affordable mortgages. This model demonstrates how a non-profit organization can function not only as a service provider but also as a housing developer, financing partner and long-term steward of affordable home ownership. Brampton Potential: Speed and scale the opportunities for expanding the Non-Profit Affordable Home Ownership Development Model in Brampton.

Recommended Partnerships: Non-profit providers work with governments and donors to finance and build new housing units before providing affordable units for ownership at affordable mortgage rates and terms based on income levels.

Partner

Role in Partnership

City of Brampton

Identify City-owned land suitable for affordable homeownership development Provide long-term, below-market land contributions Provide development-charge, parking, tax or other incentives where appropriate Establish expedited approvals for qualifying non-profit housing projects

Habitat for Humanity GTA / Non-Profit Developers

Develop and/or acquire affordable homeownership projects Provide affordable financing and homeownership supports Maintain long-term affordability through appropriate ownership and resale mechanisms Incorporate volunteer, philanthropic and donated resources where appropriate Explore modular, panelized and other cost-efficient construction methods

Private Developers and Builders

Provide construction expertise and capacity Partner with non-profit organizations on mixed-income developments Contribute land, financing or construction services where appropriate

Government of Ontario / Government of Canada

Provide capital grants, financing and infrastructure funding Support acquisition and development of affordable homeownership projects Make surplus public land available for affordable housing Develop programs that reduce financing barriers for moderate-income households

Financial Institutions / Social Finance Investors

Provide patient or below-market financing Develop innovative mortgage and shared-equity financing structures Support blended-finance models that combine public, philanthropic and private capital

International studio co-living models, including projects such as Denmark’s Kaktus Towers,

Studio Co-Living

illustrate how flexible housing formats can create attainable options for young workers, students, newcomers, and single-person households. The model has been delivered through various capital stack combinations of private, public and not for profit funding. This model has not been tested in Canada. Studio co-living is a modern housing model that evolves from the co-op housing model, where residents rent a private, fully contained studio apartment or micro-unit while sharing access to larger communal amenities and organized social spaces within the same building. Rent is typically paid as a single monthly fee that bundles utilities, high-speed Wi-Fi, property maintenance, and cleaning services. Studio co-living provides important housing for young workers or newcomers transitioning from entry level positions to more senior roles. Brampton’s housing needs remain heavily shaped by larger households and multigenerational living arrangements, and the current direct applicability of compact coliving concepts, would be in anticipation of attracting a more mobile labour force. Developers can deliver compact, high-density units while reducing the amount of private amenity space required per resident. Non-profit or community organizations can operate shared spaces and provide resident services. Shared amenities allow residents to access larger kitchens, recreational spaces, and community facilities without requiring each unit to contain them. Partnerships with educational institutions, settlement agencies, or community organizations can connect residents with integration and support services. Brampton Potential: Consider Studio Co-Living as part of repair, conversion and redevelopment of existing assets or new builds near transit stations.

Recommended Partnerships:

Partner

Role in Partnership

City of Brampton and Province of Ontario

Establish building codes, regulations and by-laws necessary to allow for this new use.

Non-profit Housing Providers

Operate permanently affordable or below-market coliving developments Provide newcomer, employment and community supports Develop resident governance and programming to reduce social isolation

Private Developers and Builders

Develop and finance studio and co-living projects near transit and employment centres Incorporate shared kitchens, lounges, workspaces and other amenities to offset smaller private units Use modular and prefabricated construction to reduce costs and accelerate delivery

Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs)

Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) are existing apartment buildings, condominium complexes or neighbourhoods where a significant number of residents have aged in place. By coordinating housing, health care, social supports and community services within these areas, NORCs can also create an important new model of inter-generational living—one in which older adults, younger households, caregivers and health-care workers live within the same community, rather than necessarily within the same home. This model is particularly relevant to Brampton. Many older residents currently depend on family members in multigenerational households for support. As their needs become more complex, informal caregiving may no longer be sufficient. NORCs can help older adults remain close to their families and cultural networks while providing access to more formal care and reducing pressure on family caregivers. The success of this model will depend on ensuring that nurses, personal support workers and other health and long-term-care professionals can also afford to live nearby. Brampton and Peel have taken proactive steps to attract and train more health-care professionals, most notably through Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Medicine in Brampton. However, training and recruitment must be matched by attainable housing, convenient transit, community amenities and a quality of life that makes living and building a career in Brampton attractive. NORCs should therefore be understood as both a seniors’ care strategy and a workforce-housing strategy. Accessible retrofits, secondary and garden suites, sensitive infill and mixed-income rental housing could add homes for older adults and care workers near hospitals, long-term-care facilities and neighbourhood service hubs. Shorter commutes and stronger community connections would support workforce recruitment and retention while improving the continuity of care available to residents. Purpose-built developments such as Jeevan Niwas Retirement Village, culturally responsive campuses developed by Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care, and mixed-use projects such as Generations Toronto demonstrate complementary approaches. Together with NORCs, these models could create a continuum of housing and care while establishing a new form of intergenerational community—one that supports older residents, their families and the essential workers on whom they increasingly depend. Brampton Potential: NORCs offer Brampton the opportunity to adapt existing neighbourhoods so older residents can age in place with access to coordinated care, while easing the growing pressures on multigenerational households. NORCs could also create inclusive inter-generational communities that strengthen local workforce recruitment and retention.

42 Recommended Partnerships: Community-led partnerships with the City of Brampton and housing providers are needed to bring together cultural organizations, with housing needs and healthcare support staff to bring a community together.

Partner

Role in Partnership

City of Brampton

Identify suitable neighbourhoods and enable accessible retrofits, infill, transit connections and attainable workforce housing through the Official Plan and Housing Brampton. Establish an open data portal to identify local needs, make space available for services and deliver attainable homes for seniors and care workers.

Peel Region, Peel Living and Peel Long Term Care

Provide housing, seniors’ services, public-health expertise and potential pilot sites. Peel’s current seniors strategy already emphasizes integrated, person-centred care. Peel Seniors Services Strategic Plan

Community and Institutional Health Organizations

Coordinate primary, geriatric, home and community care. Osler already operates geriatric outreach and long-term-care support services. Toronto Metropolitan University could lead forecasting the growth and composition of Brampton’s future health-care workforce, including expected numbers of medical students, residents, faculty and associated health professionals—and translating that growth into projected housing, transportation and community-service needs. Broader workforce planning for nurses, personal support workers and allied health professionals should also involve William Osler Health System, Peel Region, Ontario Health, Sheridan College, long-termcare operators and community-care providers.

Conclusion

This report concludes that the supply of attainable workforce housing will be a determining factor in Brampton’s future economic success. Its findings point to a practical need for faster housing delivery, stronger partnerships, a more streamlined planning and approvals system, and new housing delivery models that better reflect the needs of Brampton’s workers and families. Brampton is entering a defining period in its growth. Over the next twenty-five years, the city will add hundreds of thousands of residents while competing for the workers who drive its economy. The question is no longer whether Brampton will grow—it will. The question is whether the people who staff its hospitals, move its goods, teach its children, build its infrastructure and launch new businesses will still be able to call Brampton home. For Brampton, workforce housing is not simply a social policy challenge or a planning exercise. It is a practical economic imperative. Employers need access to a stable local workforce, and workers need suitable homes within reasonable reach of jobs, transit and essential services. When those homes are unavailable, businesses face greater difficulty attracting and retaining talent, workers endure longer and more costly commutes, and the city’s productivity and competitiveness suffer. Delivering workforce housing also requires a planning and approvals system that is coordinated,

Report Highlights

predictable and focused on results. As proposed through the Workforce Housing Advantage, projects that provide measurable and lasting benefits for Brampton’s workforce

A growing economy cannot succeed if the workers who sustain that growth are increasingly priced out of the community.

should have a clearer path through the development process. Streamlined approvals, coordinated incentives and greater certainty can reduce delay, cost and risk—helping viable projects move more quickly

No single government, organization or housing model can meet this challenge alone. Brampton’s opportunity lies in combining new ideas with stronger partnerships and a shared commitment to delivery.

from proposal to construction. Brampton’s younger population, larger households and distinctive economic profile require solutions suited to the city’s own needs.

For workforce housing, time is a cost. A faster and more predictable system is essential to getting attainable homes built.

The business community understands that housing is more than shelter—it is economic infrastructure. Brampton’s future prosperity will depend on creating attainable homes that allow workers and families to put down roots and participate fully in the city’s growth. The communities best positioned to compete for talent will be those that connect economic growth with a high quality of life for the people who make that growth possible. Brampton has the opportunity to be one of those communities—and to demonstrate that investing in workforce housing is an investment in the city’s economic future.

Glossary of Terms Affordable Housing: Housing costing no more than 30% of a households income20 Attainable Housing: that is within realistic reach for middle income households earning from $52,000 to $104,000 annually. Attainable Housing: that is within realistic reach for middle income households earning from $52,000 to $104,000 annually Employment Lands: Areas designated for businesses, industry, and other employment-generating activities . Gentle Density: The slow addition of higher density housing models like mixed-use into traditionally low-density areas Middle-Income Working Households: Households earning approximately 60%–120% of Area Median Income (AMI), representing workers who may earn too much to qualify for traditional affordable housing programs but not enough to afford suitable housing in the private market.8 Area Median Income (AMI): The midpoint household income for a specific geographic region, where half of the households earn more than that amount and half earn less. Workforce Housing: As appropriately located, affordable housing suited to the local labour force, specifically targeting moderate-to-middle-income earners across both rental and ownership markets. Unsuitable Housing: Housing suitability refers to whether a private household is living in suitable accommodations according to the National Occupancy Standard (NOS). A household is deemed to be living in suitable accommodations if its dwelling has enough bedrooms, as calculated using the NOS.10 Acknowledgements The Brampton Board of Trade would like to that the following contributors and individuals and organizations who took the time to provide input and insights this Summer 2026: City of Brampton CATCH Habitat for Humanity GTA Vijai Singh Leslie Woo Fadeel Sheikh Lauren Rondinelli Joshua Bulatovich Muskaan Baraech Jaipaul Massey-Singh

References & Citations [1] Sean Simpson, “Three in Five Brampton Residents Contemplate Departure amid Housing Costs,” Ipsos, January 29, 2026, https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/three-five-brampton-residents-contemplatedeparture-amid-housing-costs [2] Statistics Canada, “Census Profile”, 2021 Census of Population, Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98316-X2021001, November 15, 2023, https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dppd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E [3] Sean Simpson, “Three in Five Brampton Residents Contemplate Departure amid Housing Costs,” Ipsos, January 29, 2026, https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/three-five-brampton-residents-contemplatedeparture-amid-housing-costs [4] City of Brampton, “City of Brampton: 2025 Housing Needs Assessment”, 2025, City of Brampton, https://pub brampton.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=162631 [5] City of Brampton, “Service Area Asset Management Plan June 2024 Appendix A”, City of Brampton, June 19, 2024, https://www1.brampton.ca/EN/City-Hall/Corporate-AssetManagement/Documents/Appendix%20A%20%E2%80%93%202024%20Service%20Area%20Asset%20 Management%20Plan.pdf [6] Statistics Canada, “Census Profile”, 2021 Census of Population, Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98316-X2021001, November 15, 2023, https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dppd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E [7] City of Brampton: Geohub, “Census Profile: Population and Dwelling”, 2021, Brampton Geohub, https://geohub.brampton.ca/pages/939725c3e3dc4ec9bb7116ab33daad3a [8] CivicAction, “The Human Story of Workforce Hosuing”, 2025, CivicAction, https://civicaction.ca/wp content/uploads/2026/02/687f94cb3d88bd5185963e3b_CivicAction_paper_1_The_20Wh y_final_web_204.pdf.pdf [9] City of Brampton, “City of Brampton: 2025 Housing Needs Assessment”, 2025, City of Brampton, https://pub-brampton.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=162631 [10] Max Stick, Feng Hou, and Haozhen Zhang, “Housing international students: Housing suitability across municipalities”, May 22, 2024, Statistics Canada https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-280001/2024005/article/00001-eng.htm

47 [11] City of Brampton: Geohub, “Brampton Plan-Land Use Designations Schedule 2”, 2025, Brampton Geohub, https://geohub.brampton.ca/datasets/26ad103592a14a04b3e6d262ded31840_3/explore? filters=eyJEX1NDSDIiOlsiTmVpZ2hib3VyaG9vZHMiXX0%3D&location=43.733723%2C-79.687882%2C12 [12] City of Brampton, “Comprehensive Zoning By-Law Review”, 2026, City of Brampton, https://www.brampton.ca/EN/City-Hall/Zoning-By-law-Review [13] Jonathan English and Vijai Singh, “Building a Transportation Network For A City On The Rise”, September 22, 2025, Brampton Board of Trade, https://issuu.com/bramptonbot/docs/buildingatransportationnetworkforacityontherise [14] Government of Ontario, “Ontario Publishes Housing Affordability Task Force Report”, February 8, 2022, https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1001556/ontario-publishes-housing-affordability-task-forcereport [15] Government of Canada, “Canada and Ontario Open Applications for New Development Charge Reduction Program”, June 1, 2026, https://www.canada.ca/en/housing-infrastructurecommunities/news/2026/06/canada-and-ontario-open-applications-for-new-development-chargereduction-program0.html [16] Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, “CMHC’s Ask an Expert discusses development charges in Canada”, June 3, 2026, https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/observer/2026/development-charges-newhomes-expensive-canada [17] City of Mississauga, “Partners in Homebuilding Mayor’s Housing Taskforce Report”, January 22, 2025, https://www.mississauga.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/28114301/Partners-in-HomebuildingMayors-Housing-Taskforce-Report-accessible.pdf [18] City of Brampton, “Streamline Development Approval Fund Reporting Requirements”, November 1, 2023. https://www1.brampton.ca/EN/Business/planningdevelopment/Documents/SDAF%20Consolidated%20Final%20Report%20Back.pdf [19] City of Brampton, “Recommendation Report - City-Initiated Amendment to the Official Plan – Response to Bill 109, City-wide”, November 28, 2022, https://pubbrampton.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=73046 [20] Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, “Socio Economic Analysis”, June 2021, https://assets.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/sites/cmhc/professional/housing-markets-data-andresearch/housing-research/research-reports/housing-needs/labour-market-outcomes-incomeshouseholds-core-housing-need/socio-eco-labour-market-outcomes-incomes-households-chn-69763en.pdf?rev=31efa84c-ec6b-4559-bf33-1ea48e9b06ea

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