Eren Yoruk
Kitchener, ON – Waterloo Region has moved forward with a new 10 Year Housing and Homelessness Plan as local community housing waitlists reach historic highs.
According to regional data presented on October 6, 2026, nearly 11,300 households were on the waitlist at year end 2025, while wait times have stretched past a decade for one bedroom units and over 12 years for larger family homes.
Presenting the plan, Director of Housing Ryan Pettipiere reminded council that real lives sit behind the escalating statistics. “Every data point represents a real person,” Pettipiere said. He pointed to early progress in flattening the homelessness curve, but warned that “there are serious challenges ahead without strengthened and sustained investments in solutions.”
Commissioner of Community Services Peter Sweeney also addressed systemic root causes, noting that “we cannot have any discussion about solving chronic homelessness if we do not also address economic insecurity and poverty.”
With local taxpayers already covering 65 percent of the Region’s $68.6 million homelessness budget, staff emphasized that municipal resources alone cannot close the gap without long term operating support from provincial and federal governments.
