Muskoka Housing Task Force

Housing is a basic need for everyone.

The MHTF 2.0 is a dynamic group of community members, Municipal Councillors, and staff from the District and Muskoka’s Area Municipalities who are dedicated to supporting the creation and maintenance of affordable and attainable housing in Muskoka.

We are your neighbours, your community representatives, and your advocates for housing solutions.

What we do:

The MHTF 2.0 functions as an advisory body to the District and explores and recommend strategies and opportunities for a range of housing options across Muskoka. The MHTF 2.0 recognizes that solving the housing crisis will take multi-levels of government and community wide efforts - we cannot do this alone. Our role is to advocate and drive forward changes collaboratively. We believe in a community that includes housing for everyone.

With a focus on attainable housing, the Task Force mandate focuses on four areas:

• Implementation and Demonstration: Undertake, facilitate, or support activities and projects that support the creation or maintenance of attainable housing in Muskoka, including seeking funding sources and participating directly in the delivery of policies, projects or programs that result in increasing housing supply or reducing barriers;
• Foster Collaboration: Identify opportunities that support the development and maintenance of attainable housing through collaboration with the federal and provincial governments, area Municipalities, Muskoka residents, financial and housing development partners, as well as other businesses, agencies and institutions with an interest in the attainable housing needs of Muskoka residents;
• Information Sharing and Outreach: Recommend to Community and Planning Services Committee (CPS), Muskoka District Council, area Municipal Councils and the wider public actions for implementation and advocacy related to attainable housing in Muskoka; and
• Research and Evaluation: Update members’ knowledge and understanding of the planning and financial tools to support the maintenance of attainable housing, as well as policies and programs to encourage attainable housing development in Muskoka, based on emerging best practices and funding opportunities.

Our History

The MHTF was established in 2019 and took a hiatus in November of 2021. Muskoka District Council rejuvenated the group in the Spring of 2023 with Councillor Peter Kelley appointed as Chair. The inaugural meeting of the MHTF 2.0 was held on Thursday, September 28, 2023.

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