Kingston residents who want a voice in how the city tackles housing affordability and homelessness over the next decade can share their ideas at a public meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 17. The City of Kingston’s Housing and Homelessness Advisory Committee is hosting the session from 1 to 3 p.m. in Meeting Room 1 at the Kingston Frontenac Public Library Central Branch on Johnson Street.
The meeting is the final chance for public input before the draft 2026-2036 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan goes to City Council in October for approval. The plan is required under Ontario law and sets local goals for housing supply, homelessness prevention, and supports for vulnerable residents across Kingston and Frontenac County.
Those who cannot attend can send written comments to committee clerk Iain Sullivan by email at [email protected] or by mail to 216 Ontario Street, Kingston, ON K7L 2Z3. All feedback will help the committee shape its recommendations to council.
The need for action is clear. As of March 2026, there were 572 people on the real-time list of those experiencing homelessness in Kingston and Frontenac County, and about 1,500 households were waiting for social housing. A 2024 point-in-time count found 483 people without stable housing, with 75 percent of survey respondents reporting a mental health issue and 26 percent identifying as Indigenous.
The city has made progress since the last plan update in 2019, adding 95 emergency shelter beds, 183 transitional and supportive housing units, and 189 affordable housing units. In July, council approved $12.1 million in provincial and federal funding for housing and homelessness programs for 2026-27.
Earlier this year, more than 700 residents, housing providers, and people with lived experience took part in surveys, open houses, and focus groups for the plan review. Their priorities included building more supportive and affordable housing, expanding wraparound services, and focusing on prevention and housing stability.
For more information, visit the City of Kingston public notice or the plan review page.
