Kenora short over 1,600 housing units amid skyrocketing rent, homelessness rates

(File Image: City of Kenora)

A new report finds the City of Kenora is short over 1,600 housing units—a deficit that is only expected to grow over the next 15 years alongside the city’s ballooning population and a surge in summer tourists.

The report was commissioned by the city last spring in a push to understand where current housing gaps exist and how they can be best addressed in the years to come.

The report found the northwest Ontario city currently has a shortage of 1,620 units—a deficit that is expected to rise to 2,500 by 2031 thanks to population growth. That’s estimated to grow by 13 per cent by 2031, largely fuelled by immigration and inward migration, as more aging Canadians move to be nearer to the city’s expanding health-care facilities.

Additionally, the housing market is further strained during tourist season, the report explained. Data shows Kenora’s population of roughly 16,000 people nearly doubles to 30,000 during the summer months, only hiking demand for housing.

As a result, the average rent has spiked in Kenora by over 43 per cent since 2016 to about $1,048 per month as of 2024.

Meanwhile, the median real estate listing in August 2025 was $466,000—a 26.8 per cent rise from the 2024 median sale price.

On top of that, Kenora’s unhoused population has skyrocketed 169 per cent between 2021 and 2024.

“More individuals in 2024 cited an inability to afford rent as their primary reason for homelessness than any other factor, a noticeable change from 2021,” the report said.

To address the deficit, city staff outlined 13 initial actions, including undertaking a master infrastructure plan, making municipal lands available for housing and continuing to seek funding from all levels of government.

Kenora Mayor Andrew Poirier said the report’s findings back up the work already underway at both the provincial and federal levels to boost housing.

“We are optimistic about future developments that will address the current housing climate, and we are confident that the data will play an important role in securing financial support at the provincial and federal levels and in supporting the city’s development objectives,” he said in a news release.

The report was compiled using demographic data, economic trends, current housing stocks as well as data from a June 2024 housing needs survey administered by the city, which netter 767 responses.

The full report can be read on the city’s website.