As population pressures in Ontario continue, it is critical to ensure actions taken to build housing support important economies and jobs and sustain the natural resources that enable growth and community well-being. Agriculture and agri-food are major economic drivers in the province, contributing nearly $50 billion to Ontario’s GDP annually and employing ten per cent of the workforce. Ontarians also benefit from a safe and secure source of local food with 60 per cent of food produced and consumed locally. To maintain and grow this strong and successful sector in Ontario, housing decisions, particularly in rural communities, must closely align with the needs of farm families, farm workers, and related agribusiness jobs.

This report examines housing solutions for Ontario’s agriculture and agri-food sector and considers responses to unique regional pressures by highlighting the Greenbelt. While this sector is the economic cornerstone for many rural economies, strains on municipal capacity can result in sector needs that are overlooked or decisions that impede productivity. Farmers, farm families, farm workers, and employees of agri-food businesses require housing solutions that support their contributions to agricultural productivity. The rising cost of land, urban development pressures, and a lack of flexible housing solutions present ongoing challenges. The report highlights how urban spillover, rising demand for rural properties, and insufficient housing development have intensified housing shortages for farm families, agricultural workers, and rural communities across the province.

Scattered rural development, including the cumulative effects of severances and rules allowing new rural settlement areas, can have additional implications on taxes, servicing demands, and the environment. Consequences include restricting livestock operations, loss of farmland, changing community infrastructure, further increasing land values, and the loss of biodiversity and climate resilience.

Addressing these issues is vital for agriculture, rural economies and food systems. By incorporating an agricultural lens, adequate and affordable local housing solutions can ensure that agriculture viability and economic growth, including food production and related jobs, are recognized as a vital part of planning decisions.