Kingston wins $3.2M to support more homes after beating 2025 target

What happened

• Kingston received $3.2 million from the third round of the Building Faster Fund for meeting housing progress requirements.
• In 2025 the city broke ground on 1,011 new homes, 26% above its annual provincially designated target.

By the numbers

• $3.2 million: Building Faster Fund award to Kingston.
• 1,011 homes: new housing starts in Kingston in 2025.
• 26%: how much Kingston exceeded its annual target.
• Deadline to spend Building Faster Fund awards extended to 2028.
• Ontario reported 26,084 total housing starts from Jan–May 2026 (+17.2% vs. Jan–May 2025) and 13,599 rental starts (+94.9%, a record for that period).
• The province is also investing nearly $7 million in Kingston through the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program to enable over 4,000 new homes.

Why it matters

• The funding helps pay for infrastructure and actions that let more housing move from plans to construction.
• The award is tied to hitting provincial housing targets, signaling that local progress can unlock provincial support.

Other related measures noted in the release

• The release references provincial laws and programs aimed at speeding construction and lowering costs, including the Building Homes and Improving Transportation Infrastructure Act, 2026; the HST Relief Implementation Act (Residential Property Rebates), 2026; and the Development Charge Reduction Program under the Canada–Ontario Partnership to Build.
• The release says the HST will be removed on new homes from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027, which the province says could save buyers up to $130,000.