Mayor Cam Guthrie says the City of Guelph, Ontario, is moving forward with a plan to build more homes by using city-owned land and making it easier to get projects started. As of March 06, 2026, the city is focused on turning municipal property into affordable and supportive housing to help solve the local housing shortage.
The City of Guelph received $21.4 million in federal funding to help speed up the creation of new neighbourhoods. This money supports projects on city-owned land, including new housing developments on Normandy Drive and Eastview Road.
While local officials have already approved between 3,500 and 4,000 new homes, many of those projects have not yet been built. Mayor Guthrie noted that although the city has given permission for thousands of units, construction by developers has been slow to follow.
To keep the process moving, the Mayor stated he is prepared to use special “strong mayor” powers to override the council if necessary to get more homes approved. The city is currently working toward a target of adding 739 extra housing units by the end of 2026.
