An effective housing system within the City will provide an appropriate range and mix of housing options to meet the needs of all current and future residents. Housing includes a broad range of options that can be characterised through the Housing Continuum: 

The Housing Continuum includes housing options that represent different roles and intervention from governments to address various housing needs and outcomes. It is recognized that there is a need across the entirety of the housing continuum within the City. However, the District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board (DSSMSSAB) is the Service System Manager responsible for overseeing and planning for shelters, supportive housing, and subsidized housing.

The draft Housing Action Plan focuses on the last three housing options on the continuum: affordable housing, market rental housing, and market home ownership. It is recommended that while the City continues to support DSSMSSAB in fulfilling its mandate, there is a more direct role for the City to address housing needs with regards to affordable housing, market rental housing, and market home ownership.

The Housing Action Plan establishes Goals and Strategic Actions which consider the current and future housing needs of the City. These Goals and Actions are based on the recommendations from the City's Affordable Housing Task Force. The Plan contains the following:

Goal 1: Increase Housing Supply to Meet Demand and Address Affordability Issues

• Action: Establish Strategic Development Areas (Intensification Areas)
  • Strategic Development Areas are a focus for accommodating intensification and higher-density mixed uses and support the development of "complete communities"
  • See the Strategic Development Areas consultation page for more details


• Action: Provide Mechanisms for Residential Intensification
  • Includes: Encouraging Gentle Density; Reviewing Permitted Dwelling types in the Zoning By-law; By-law Amendments; Reducing Parking Requirements; etc.
  • See the Gentle Density consultation page for more details


• Action: Provide Financial Incentives for Housing
  • Includes: a Municipal Fees Rebate Program; Per-Door Grants; Tax Increment Equivalent Grants (TIEGs); a Feasibility Study Program, and others. All financial incentives for housing will consider whether the development will contain some (or all) units that meet the definition of "affordable housing". 


• Action: Advance Housing First on Government Land
  • Identify surplus public land that may have residential development potential and develop a process to grant the land for housing development projects.

Goal 2: Streamline the Approvals Process

• Action: Develop and Implement an Online Application Portal
  • Leveraging digital streamlining technology to improve efficiency, status tracking and process timeline 

Goal 3: Collaboration and Partnerships

• Action: Collaborate and Build Strategic Partnerships with Various Stakeholders
  • Includes those who can advance the implementation of the Plan, including various levels of government, community based organizations, and agencies.

Goal 4: Funding, Planning and Monitoring

• Action: Actively Pursue Funding Opportunities
  • Includes funding opportunities that are intended to facilitate new housing development. 


• Action: Plan for Housing Growth
  • Undertake a Housing Needs Assessment to quantify current and future housing demand and ensure that the City is well positioned to accommodate housing growth.


• Action: Monitoring and Continuous Improvement
  • Regularly monitor all initiatives presented in the Plan to ensure that they remain relevant and responsive to emerging housing challenges and opportunities within the City.

Goal 5: Education and Engagement

• Action: Educationation and Awareness in the Communtiy
  • Implement a public awareness campaign and use platforms such as PublicInput to facilitate participation in initiatives related to housing.