Council to consider housing initiatives to address affordability and homelessness

The City of Saskatoon is making strides to address housing affordability and homelessness through the launch of HOUSING Saskatoon, a new Affordable Housing Strategy for 2025-2030, the City’s first comprehensive Housing Needs Assessment, and municipal budget options to support housing incentives. These initiatives will be presented to meetings of the Standing Policy Committees on Planning, Development and Community Services and Finance both on Wednesday, October 8, 2025.

HOUSING Saskatoon: A strategic path forward

The City has unveiled HOUSING Saskatoon, a comprehensive Affordable Housing Strategy (the Strategy) for 2025-2030, alongside its first-ever comprehensive Housing Needs Assessment. Together, these documents chart a strategic course to address growing housing challenges and improve affordability for Saskatoon residents.

Developed in partnership with the Community-University Institute for Social Research (CUISR), the Housing Needs Assessment combines data analysis with insights from nearly 100 interviews and focus groups. The findings reveal that approximately 10% of Saskatoon households are in Core Housing Need, which is determined by factors such as affordability, adequacy and suitability. Renters are disproportionately affected, with low-income households, single mothers, seniors and Indigenous residents facing the highest rates of housing insecurity. Rising rents, limited affordable options and increasing homelessness highlight the urgent need for coordinated action.

The Strategy outlines five key goals:

• Diversify housing options
• Increase the supply of affordable housing
• Strengthen partnerships
• Raise public awareness
• Promote equity in housing access

To achieve these goals, the Strategy includes 84 targeted actions, with 52 prioritized for immediate implementation. A performance framework will track progress, with annual reporting to City Council.

Pending budget approvals, the proposed budget options would expand investment and collaborate with provincial and federal partners to accelerate affordable housing development. This initiative marks a significant step toward building a more inclusive, resilient and affordable housing future for Saskatoon.

Exploring budget options to advance affordable housing

To support the implementation of HOUSING Saskatoon, the City is evaluating three levels of municipal investment through its Affordable Housing Incentives report. Each option is designed to increase the supply of affordable housing and leverage additional funding from provincial and federal sources.

Increased investment would support non-profit and Indigenous housing providers, improve health and social outcomes, and strengthen community resilience.

The proposed budget options will be considered during Council’s 2026/27 Business Plan and Budget deliberations.

“Without a dedicated municipal contribution, Saskatoon risks missing out on time-sensitive federal and provincial funding opportunities that require matching or complementary investments, and falling behind other jurisdictions,” said Lesley Anderson, Director of Planning and Development. “A stable and predictable funding model is essential to support the implementation of our Affordable Housing Strategy and respond to urgent housing needs.”

Neighbourhood Land Development Fund allocation

To further strengthen support for affordable housing, the City Administration is proposing a revised policy to the Standing Policy Committee on Finance that will allocate 15% of future profits from the Neighbourhood Land Development Fund directly to the City’s housing program. This dedicated funding will help create new affordable housing units and provide greater certainty for community partners working to address housing needs.

“To sum it up, the City Administration is bringing forward a strategy to look at what the housing needs are, what kind of housing is available, how to get it built quickly and then guarantee stable funding for the future,” Anderson says. “We’re confident the HOUSING Saskatoon strategy will make our community a strong leader in affordable housing initiatives.”

For more information on the City’s housing efforts, visit saskatoon.ca/housing-saskatoon.