The District of Muskoka’s latest update on housing and homelessness paints a stark picture of rising need, limited affordable options, and an urgent call for thousands of new homes over the next six years.
During a joint meeting of the District’s Health and Services and Community and Planning Services committees, councillors received a staff report outlining the five-year update to Muskoka’s 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan (HHP) and the findings of the Homelessness System Review (HSR).
The report highlights deepening affordability challenges, with residents citing soaring rents and home prices, limited supportive housing, and long waitlists for both subsidized units and social services. Community members also flagged inflation, high development costs, and limited government funding or incentives as key barriers.
“Residents emphasized rising rental and ownership costs, a lack of housing with supports, and limited housing diversity,” the report notes, calling for more purpose-built rentals, supportive housing, and mixed-income developments.
By 2031, Muskoka will require approximately 9,495 new permanent homes to meet existing shortfalls and future population growth. That figure includes units needed to address core housing needs and households that might have formed under more favourable market conditions. However, Chair Lehman cautioned the numbers are backdated and do not precisely reflect the current need.
The most acute need, staff said, lies in deeply affordable one- and two-bedroom rentals for very low- and low-income residents.
- Very low-income households (earning up to 20% of the area’s median income) need rents below $490 per month, representing more than 425 households in core need today and another 112 projected by 2031.
- Low-income households (earning 21–50% of median income) can afford rents between $490 and $1,225 per month, affecting nearly 3,800 households by 2031.
In 2021, the District estimated 2,755 households were in core housing need. During the 2024–25 fiscal year, 421 households experienced homelessness, suggesting roughly 15% of those in core need may transition into homelessness each year.
The District’s reliance on motels as temporary shelters remains significant.
Over the past year, 356 households used motels for shelter, with roughly 70 households staying in motels on any given night. Stays ranged from a few nights to several months.
About 22% of motel users appeared on the District’s By-Name List (BNL)—a tool that tracks individuals experiencing homelessness—though staff noted that participation is voluntary and requires client consent.
District Chair Jeff Lehman questioned the growing use of motel rooms and asked for details on a consultant’s recommendation to create a low-barrier emergency shelter.
Staff confirmed that Muskoka currently does not have a low-barrier facility, but said work is underway to create permanent alternatives.
“By 2027, hopefully it won’t be necessary,” staff said, noting that current plans focus on transitioning away from temporary motel use toward
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