Affordable Housing

We’re working to add more affordable housing in Cambridge. While the City is not responsible for actually building homes, here are some of the steps we are taking to increase affordable housing. 

Community housing in Cambridge is run by the Region of Waterloo. To check if you qualify for community housing, please visit the Region’s website. 

The Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) is a federal government program providing funds to municipalities to help fast track the number of homes being built. The City has an action plan featuring nine initiatives to help get shovels in the ground faster.  

To learn more about the City’s initiatives, and the HAF program visit our HAF page.

 

Additional Residential Units (ARUs) are self contained residential units containing their own kitchen, washroom and sleeping area. They are either attached to a current home, or a detached building on the same lot. The City has an Financial Assistance Program available to property owners who construct an ARU.  

To learn more visit our ARU page.

On July 21, 2026, City Council unanimously approved a recommendation to use the $1.5M Affordable Housing Reserve Fund to purchase land to support the development of affordable rental housing. Once land has been secured, the City will select a housing provider through a request for proposals.

The recommendation came from the Affordable Housing Reserve Fund Working Group, which was established in 2024 and included the Mayor, Councillor Cooper, Councillor Kimpson, and three members of the public. The group came to the decision that buying land is the most effective way to use reserve fund because it allows the City to play a more active role in creating affordable housing.

To view the council meeting or supporting documents, visit the council meeting event page.

Cambridge is part of Waterloo Region’s Affordable Housing Plan. For more information on the plan, visit the Region’s website.

The Region of Waterloo’s 2023-2027 Strategic Plan outlines Homes for All as a key priority and includes “Unlock Region-owned land that supports community growth” as a critical action item to move this area forward. The plan focuses on five priority areas, one of which is finding partner lands for affordable housing development. Learn more about land for housing on the Region of Waterloo's website.

One challenge in creating affordable housing is finding land that can legally accommodate the type and scale of housing needed. Cambridge's new Zoning By-law removes many of these barriers by allowing a much wider range of housing forms across the city.

By allowing single detached homes, semi-detached homes, townhouses, stacked townhouses, triplexes, multiple dwellings, and apartment buildings to be permitted in more residential areas, there are significantly more sites that could be considered for affordable housing development.

The expanded permissions for Additional Residential Units (ARUs) are particularly important for affordability. Allowing additional units on a residential lot creates new rental opportunities without requiring large-scale redevelopment. These smaller rental units are often more affordable than newly built apartments and can increase rental supply throughout the city, support seniors aging in place, enable multi-generational living arrangements and provide homeowners with rental income that helps offset housing costs.

The zoning framework creates a housing range. Residential 1 and 2 zones support low and medium-density housing, enable infill development and neighbourhood intensification and create opportunities for townhouses, triplexes, and other "missing middle" housing. Residental 3 zones allow higher-density development, including buildings up to 15 storeys along major roads. It also supports larger affordable housing projects near transit, services, and employment areas and makes more efficient use of urban land and infrastructure.

To learn more about zoning in Cambridge visit our zoning page.