Wilmot Township approves 20-year tax exemption for new affordable housing

Council chambers in Wilmot Township. (Source: Township of Wilmot/X)

Wilmot Township Council has approved a new policy that will exempt property taxes on newly built affordable housing units, in what officials are calling a significant step toward addressing housing affordability in the community.

The policy offers a 20-year property tax exemption for affordable housing developments led by non-profit and cooperative housing providers.

Mayor Natasha Salonen said the initiative is about enabling local solutions to a growing crisis.

“We know that real solutions require collaboration,” she said in a statement. “This exemption creates the conditions for our non-profit partners—and potentially for-profit builders—to deliver housing that meets the needs of some residents, right here in New Hamburg, Baden, New Dundee, and beyond.”

The new exemption policy is part of Wilmot’s 2024–2027 Strategic Plan. It also builds on previous council actions, including the 2024 decision to waive regional development charges for Nith View Homes’ new 160-bed long-term care facility.

“This is about taking meaningful, concrete steps to tackle the housing crisis in our community,” Salonen said. “This policy is one way we can say: we see the need, and we’re acting on it.”

Council says it will continue exploring additional tools to address the housing crisis.