Internal provincial data obtained under freedom of information laws shows Ontario fell well short of its 150,000-home target for 2025, meeting just 58% of the goal even after including long‑term care and student residence units.
Ontario set a 2025 target of 150,000 new homes but the province’s internal briefing note reports only 58% of that target was met.
The province’s modified definition of 'new housing' counted long‑term care spaces and student residence beds toward the target.
Only 13 municipalities met the targets set by the provincial government.
A provincial briefing note obtained through freedom of information requests shows Ontario did not meet its self-imposed housing target for 2025. The government had a goal of 150,000 new homes for the year. Under the province's adjusted counting method, which included some non‑traditional residential units, the briefing note reports 58% of that target was achieved.
How the province counted housing differently
Ontario's modified definition expanded what it calls 'new housing' to include long‑term care spaces and student residence beds. Counting those units raises the total relative to a narrower definition that would limit the tally to conventional market and purpose‑built residential units. The briefing note uses the expanded definition to report progress against the 150,000 target.
The briefing note highlights a wide gap in municipal delivery. Only 13 municipalities met the targets the province had set for them. The document implies uneven progress across the province but does not list all municipalities or provide a municipal‑by‑municipal breakdown in the material summarized in the news coverage.
Why the distinction in counting matters
Counting long‑term care and student housing toward a general housing target changes the composition of the units delivered. Long‑term care beds and student residence beds serve specific populations and typically come with different tenure models, funding arrangements, and occupancy rules than market or general affordable housing. Including these units increases the headline number but does not necessarily expand the supply of typical, privately leased or owned homes used by the broader population.
The briefing note frames the province's public claim about progress in a different light: even with an expanded definition that includes institutional and institutional‑style housing, Ontario still fell well short of its target. The finding raises questions about how targets are set and measured and about the factors limiting delivery at the municipal and project level.
Practical next questions for readers
Ontario's internal document shows progress fell well short of the 2025 target. Because the province broadened what it counts as 'new housing' to include long‑term care and student beds, the 58% figure represents performance under that expanded definition rather than a baseline measure of market or typical family housing delivery. Only 13 municipalities reached the targets the province had set, indicating uneven delivery across the province.
Development of unused government land will bring 640 modern long-term care spaces to the community
The federal housing agency says Canada narrowly chipped away at its supply gap over the past year, but the country still needs up to nearly 4.7 million new homes over the next decade to restore pre-pandemic affordability by 2036.
City receiving $697.2 million for housing-enabling infrastructure in exchange for reducing and eliminating development charges over three years
Ottawa will provide up to $220 million through Build Canada Homes, a federal agency formed to speed up the delivery of the housing, while Alberta will pay up to $165 million.
Loading more related stories...
Open the app view to save this story, compare related coverage, and continue from the same source.