The Ontario government is investing $50,607,711.73 to enable the construction of new homes in Huntsville. The funding is being delivered through the first round of investments under the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, which includes $970 million to help municipalities develop, repair, rehabilitate and expand drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure.
“Our government is committed to making life more affordable. A big part of that mission is enabling the construction of new homes. This historic investment into Muskoka will do exactly that,” said MPP Graydon Smith, Parry Sound-Muskoka. “Under our government our riding has and continues to receive truly unprecedented levels of provincial government investment. I’m thrilled that Muskoka is receiving over $50 million to make home ownership more attainable for our residents.”
This funding will support the District of Muskoka’s Huntsville Golden Pheasant Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade and Mountview Sewage Pumping Station new force main installation and critical watermain replacement project. This project will enable the construction of 3,197 new housing units.
“This extraordinary investment is one of the largest ever by the Province in Muskoka. It helps us tackle one of the biggest barriers to housing construction – the high cost of servicing,” said District of Muskoka Chair, Jeff Lehman. “This funding ultimately means less pressure on water bills, and lower housing costs supporting areas of the District with the greatest need.”
The government is also allocating an additional $250 million and accepting a second round of applications through the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, bringing the province’s total investment in the fund to $1.2 billion.
“By investing in drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities and connecting pipes to land, we are helping municipalities build more homes,” said Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure. “Homes can’t be built without connections to drinking water and wastewater.”
In this year’s budget, Ontario announced more than $1.8 billion in housing-enabling infrastructure funding through the $825 million Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund and the $1 billion Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program, in addition to funding announced previously through the province’s Building Faster Fund. In response to the significant demand for investments in water and wastewater infrastructure to enable the construction of more homes, and after consulting with municipalities, the province is transferring $275 million from the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program to the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund. In addition, the $120 million from the Building Faster Fund that was reserved for small, rural and northern communities is being flowed to these communities through the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund.