By Tammy Raycraft,
Bruce Peninsula Press
Bruce County recently published their Housing Targets Final Report, a comprehensive 10-year strategy to address the evolving housing needs of Bruce County from 2026 – 2036.
Responding to steady population and employment growth, the document establishes a target of 4,040 new residential units distributed across the Lakeshore, Inland and Peninsula regions.
According to the report, the Peninsula Region, which includes the Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula and Town of South Bruce Peninsula, has been designated a target of 485 new housing units for the 10-year period.
County staff indicated that for the Peninsula Region, the report helps identify what types of housing units are needed and who they are intended for. These targets can help guide private and non-profit housing investment, as well as support municipalities by providing insight into the types and volumes of housing needed.
The majority of units in this region are targeted toward market-rate ownership, however, several categories are included to support affordability.
The report breaks this down as follows: 325 units targeted for ownership, 50 units for private rental, 40 units for below-market ownership, 30 units targeted for below-market rental, and 40 units for community or social housing.
Development in the Peninsula Region is expected to remain largely low-density, with 330 units projected to be single-detached or semi-detached. There are 140 units for medium-density dwellings such as townhomes or duplex apartments and 15 units projected for high-density apartment buildings, according to the report.
It also identifies 47 below-market rental units existing in the Peninsula that are currently at risk of being lost to market-rate conversion, which would require additional preservation efforts to maintain the region’s overall affordability.
These units are currently affordable to moderate-income households, representing those earning up to 80 per cent of the area median household income. Without intervention, the report projects them to become unaffordable as they transition to higher market rates.
In the Peninsula Region, preserving these units is a critical priority because the area faces unique seasonal housing pressures and geographic constraints that make it difficult to rapidly increase new supply. The region is addressing seasonal housing pressures while attempting to ensure that permanent residents have access to appropriate and affordable housing, the report indicated.
County staff stated that having housing options that can meet the local needs helps the community be better positioned to welcome moderate-income households, families and workers.
The 10-year Housing Targets Report identifies the importance of growing the supply of rental housing, which may help support seasonal workforce housing, as well as allowing people to remain in the community year-round, county staff stated in a written response to the Bruce Peninsula Press. The goal is to create conditions where workers can transition from seasonal arrangements into permanent housing if they choose to do so, they said.
