Who will Swing the Hammer?

In 2023, Hamilton’s local business community, represented by the West End Home Builders’ Association and the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, partnered to commission a report from the Smart Prosperity Institute about housing and the Hamilton Area’s economic competitiveness. The report provided a foundation of data and evidence as a basis for which the industry, in partnership with the City of Hamilton, is responding to our local housing crisis. The City of Hamilton, along with Burlington and Grimsby, find themselves at the centre of a troubling paradox.
 
 1. Metro Hamilton has a pre-existing housing shortage and needs to double homebuilding over the next decade to address this shortage and keep up with population growth.
 2. The shortage of housing in Metro Hamilton has caused home prices and rents to rise higher than in other communities in Canada.
 3. Metro Hamilton’s high home prices and rents risk pricing out the workers needed to build those homes.
 Failing to address the housing shortage will not just cause living in Hamilton to become less affordable, but it will also strain the social and economic viability of the community. With an aging population, the region must attract and retain experienced workers to replace those retiring. It will need health-care workers to care for an aging population and education workers to ensure Hamilton is a viable option for families with children.
 
This report built on and complements the work the City of Hamilton had been doing through the Housing and Sustainability Investment Road Map. This session provides planners with an overview of how the new home construction industry, the City of Hamilton, and the broader business community are working collaboratively to develop this “whole of Hamilton” housing strategy by working together.
 
Coming to the conference? Hear Michelle Diplock’s full presentation on September 26 from 2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Albion B.