The City of Kitchener is getting more than $8 million for meeting its provincially-designated housing target. The Building Faster Fund rewards municipalities who reach at least 80 per cent of their goal. The province said Kitchener broke ground on 3,005 new homes in 2025. That was more than 85 per cent of the city’s annual target. “Kitchener is proud to be recognized by the Government of Ontario for the third year in a row, for our leadership in addressing the housing crisis and getting more homes built,” said Mayor Berry Vrbanovic in Thursday’s media release. “This investment, through the Building Faster Fund, reflects the strong commitment of council, staff and our community to taking action, accelerating progress and delivering more housing for the residents of Kitchener. Since the program began, Kitchener has demonstrated that through strong collaboration with our provincial counterparts and a willingness to act, we can deliver housing faster.” The city was awarded $8,013,600 through the program, which is expected to fund other housing and community infrastructure projects. Across Ontario, the government said it recorded 20,423 housing starts between January and April 2026, a 24.6 per cent increase compared to the same time frame in 2025.
