Lanark County says hundreds of residents received housing assistance and homelessness supports last year, as demand for affordable housing and rental assistance remained high across the region.
A new Housing and Homelessness Report presented to council outlines the impact of several local and provincial programs throughout 2025.
The county’s First Time Home Purchase Program helped six households buy a home through down payment assistance, with an investment of more than $180,000.
Portable housing benefits supported 273 residents through the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit and the county’s own portable housing benefit program, backed by a municipal investment of more than $455,000. Another 26 residents received support through the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative Rental Assistance Program.
The report also highlights significant investments in affordable housing projects. More than $1.3 million in Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative funding was directed toward the redevelopment at 63 Halton Street, while the county invested $200,000 and approved an additional $50,000 for a 10-unit affordable housing project at Linden Housing Co-Operative.
Demand for rent-geared-to-income housing continued to outpace supply. At the end of 2025, there were 470 applicants on the centralized waiting list, including 28 households under the Special Priority Policy. The county received 191 new applications during the year and offered 50 housing units.
Lanark County also expanded its response to homelessness.
The Housing Assistance Program served 804 households with a $650,000 investment, while 491 emergency gift cards were distributed to people in need. Two crisis beds at Shardon Manor served 25 individuals, and the after-hours homeless assistance program operated by Victim Services helped 335 people.
The county’s By-Name List, which tracks individuals and families experiencing homelessness, identified 182 new households in 2025, including 87 households experiencing chronic homelessness, 19 youth and 43 families. A total of 112 households were successfully housed, while 19 others received rent subsidies.
A new mobile outreach initiative known as LIFT was launched in December 2025 through a partnership involving Lanark County Mental Health, Lanark County Paramedic Service, Lanark County and Southeast Public Health. The program provides relationship-based support in community settings, including encampments, to help reduce barriers to care.
The report also points to ongoing homelessness prevention efforts, including partnerships with Lanark County Mental Health to fund outreach and housing-based case management positions, as well as an expansion of Bridge House to 22 beds serving 33 individuals.
To help renters better understand their rights, the county partnered with the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights to offer a series of online educational sessions covering topics such as human rights in housing, repairs and maintenance, eviction prevention and housing basics.
