COBOURG — The Ontario government is investing up to $25 million in water infrastructure to help enable the construction of 2,266 new homes in the Town of Cobourg. The funding is being delivered through the first round of investments under the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, which includes $970 million to help municipalities develop, repair, rehabilitate and expand drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure that will enable the construction of more homes.
“We’re working with our municipal partners here in Cobourg and across Ontario to get more homes built faster,” said Premier Doug Ford. “With billions of dollars in investments in housing-enabling infrastructure, our government is helping get more shovels in the ground to keep the dream of homeownership alive and help more families across Ontario find a home that meets their needs and their budgets.”
The Town of Cobourg will use the funding to expand its wastewater system and watermains to deliver clean water to residents in the community. The project will support the development of the Cobourg East Community Secondary Plan area, unlocking more homes and supporting economic growth.
“By investing in drinking water and wastewater distribution systems and connecting pipes to land, we are helping municipalities build 511,000 new homes through the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, including more than 2,200 homes through this project here in Cobourg,” said Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure. “Building Ontario means building more homes and homes can’t be built without sustainable water systems in place.”
In response to the significant demand for investments in drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure to enable the construction of more homes and after consulting with municipalities, the government is allocating an additional $250 million to the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund. This brings Ontario’s total investment in the fund to $1.2 billion, and the province is currently accepting a second round of applications through the fund. Under the second intake, $120 million will be reserved for projects in small, rural and northern municipalities without housing targets.
“Homes do not appear overnight – they require the right water and wastewater services that build these homes, and support the communities they’re situated in,” said David Piccini, Member of Provincial Parliament for Northumberland—Peterborough South. “This $25 million investment through Ontario’s Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund will enable us to build a stronger Cobourg with nearly 2,300 additional homes – that’s 2,300 more residents and families who will be able to realize the dream of homeownership.”
In this year’s budget, Ontario announced more than $1.8 billion in housing-enabling infrastructure funding through the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund and the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program, in addition to the province’s Building Faster Fund, which rewards municipalities for progress toward their housing targets.