Council's Task Force on Affordable Housing

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A photo of a magnifying glass looking at some small model houses next to stacks of coins. A banner across the bottom of the images says "Take our first Task Force Housing Survey today!"

Council’s Task Force on Affordable Housing is looking for opportunities to increase the number of affordable housing units available in Midland. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) reports that over the period from 2015 to 2019 the vacancy rate for rental row-housing and apartment units declined from 3.3% to 2.0%. Over the last year the price of housing has continued to push affordable housing beyond the reach of many Midlander's, and the Task Force wants to see this trend reversed.

Municipalities across Canada facing similar challenges have taken action to fix the problem including:

  • Zoning changes to encourage affordable housing
  • Providing land to developers
  • Reducing fees and taxes

…all built upon extensive engagement with their communities.

In June 2020, Midland Council created its Task Force on Affordable Housing. The Task Force will focus on the segment of the housing market known as “attainable housing” – housing not eligible for government social supports. This segment is often referred to as the ‘missing middle”. The Task Force will work through Council to organize the resources needed to ensure that sufficient attainable housing is built in Midland. To do this effectively it must engage with the residents of Midland to ensure they have the information they need and the opportunity to put forward their comments and ideas.

Building housing and helping low-income residents gain safe stable housing will take decades. It will only be successful if it is supported by the people of Midland. We need your help. Please take a moment to review the information and provide us with your ideas and insights so that all Midlander’s can find safe affordable housing.

Update: Council's Task Force on Affordable Housing has launched it's first survey - Survey #1: Do we have a Housing Problem?

Click the Survey #1 tab below and take our survey today! The survey runs until end of day, Thursday, June 10, 2021.


Council’s Task Force on Affordable Housing is looking for opportunities to increase the number of affordable housing units available in Midland. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) reports that over the period from 2015 to 2019 the vacancy rate for rental row-housing and apartment units declined from 3.3% to 2.0%. Over the last year the price of housing has continued to push affordable housing beyond the reach of many Midlander's, and the Task Force wants to see this trend reversed.

Municipalities across Canada facing similar challenges have taken action to fix the problem including:

  • Zoning changes to encourage affordable housing
  • Providing land to developers
  • Reducing fees and taxes

…all built upon extensive engagement with their communities.

In June 2020, Midland Council created its Task Force on Affordable Housing. The Task Force will focus on the segment of the housing market known as “attainable housing” – housing not eligible for government social supports. This segment is often referred to as the ‘missing middle”. The Task Force will work through Council to organize the resources needed to ensure that sufficient attainable housing is built in Midland. To do this effectively it must engage with the residents of Midland to ensure they have the information they need and the opportunity to put forward their comments and ideas.

Building housing and helping low-income residents gain safe stable housing will take decades. It will only be successful if it is supported by the people of Midland. We need your help. Please take a moment to review the information and provide us with your ideas and insights so that all Midlander’s can find safe affordable housing.

Update: Council's Task Force on Affordable Housing has launched it's first survey - Survey #1: Do we have a Housing Problem?

Click the Survey #1 tab below and take our survey today! The survey runs until end of day, Thursday, June 10, 2021.


  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded. Thank you to all who participated!

    Survey #1 - Do we have a housing problem?

    141 responses

    This survey is now closed. Thank you to everyone who participated.


    Midland Council is actively involved in ensuring that affordable housing is available for all Midland residents. Recent steps include purchasing land to be developed for housing; modifying the Town’s Official Plan to encourage new housing; and launching a Task Force to coordinate housing activities. 

    An essential part of the Town’s initiative is to engage residents in the discussion - to provide your ideas and experiences about what housing means for Midland. Your responses will be used to direct the types of housing built in our community and ensure that proper housing is available for all citizens.

    Over the coming months we will be sending out a series of surveys, each focused on a different housing topic. You can respond to just one survey or to all of them. We ask that you fill in each survey only once, so we can better understand the needs of all Midlanders.

    Each survey will include information about the housing topic. This survey’s focus is the public understanding of Midland’s housing situation. Information on the topic follows:

    • Midland has a high proportion of low-income households at 8.1%, much higher than the County of Simcoe average of 5.3%. Low income is the most common factor identified by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) in determining households in core housing need. CMHC estimates that some 1,200 households in Midland are in core housing need.
    • Our current Town housing inventory shows 2,600 to 3,200 housing units under development or proposed over the next 10 years. Developers are unable to identify what proportion these units will be affordable. Reference Staff report PL- 2020 – 15.

    Survey #1 will run until end-of-day on Thursday, June 10, 2021.

    Survey is now closed
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