Ajax is taking another step to make housing more affordable with a new partnership between the Town and Habitat for Humanity GTA. Announced by Mayor Shaun Collier on June 22, 2026, the project was described by the Mayor as a first-of-its-kind affordable housing initiative in Canada. The Town will put money toward buying land and moving the project through design, planning, engineering, and approvals so construction can start quickly once a site is chosen.
This is the third major affordable housing investment Ajax Council has made in recent months. It follows a 50-unit supportive housing project on Regionally owned land and about 100 affordable units through a partnership with Ashley Manor Housing Corporation. The new Habitat for Humanity project will give more families a chance to own a home through a model where buyers skip the down payment and pay a zero-interest mortgage based on their income.
“We are committing funding to help secure land and advance the project through key early stages, including design, planning, engineering and approvals,” Mayor Collier said in a statement. “This will allow us to move quickly and position the project for success once the final site is secured.” While the exact location hasn’t been announced, the Mayor said more details will be shared in the coming months.
The Town’s push on housing comes as more than 13,000 people sit on the Durham Access to Social Housing waitlist. Ajax has received $22 million through the federal Housing Accelerator Fund and more than $4 million from Ontario’s Building Faster Fund to help speed up new housing. Council has also used tools like zoning changes and Strong Mayor powers to get projects built faster, including the supportive housing development at the northeast corner of Harwood Avenue South and Achilles Road.
That 50-unit building will have studio and one-bedroom apartments in a three-storey design, with on-site support services and a layout that fits in with the library next door. Habitat for Humanity GTA already builds affordable homes across the Greater Toronto Area, including in Durham Region. This new Ajax partnership adds to the local push to give more people a safe and affordable place to live.
