Lanark County doesn’t simply have a housing shortage. It has a “housing mismatch,” with a growing and aging population increasingly needing smaller, affordable homes while much of the region’s housing remains geared toward low-density home ownership.
That was one of the central messages delivered to county councillors Sept. 16 as they endorsed in principle a new 10-year Housing and Homelessness Plan.
“We don’t simply have a housing shortage. We have a housing mismatch,” Housing Services Manager Kaitlyn Murray told the Community Services Committee.
The plan identifies four major pressures facing the county: housing costs that have outpaced incomes, a housing supply that does not match current and projected needs, population growth combined with an aging population, and increasing homelessness.
“As a community, we are growing older and larger at the same time,” Murray said.
About 84 per cent of the county’s existing housing stock consists of low-density housing, primarily single- and semi-detached homes. At the same time, demand is increasing for smaller and more affordable rental units, supportive housing and housing suitable for seniors.
The county’s population is estimated at about 73,449 in 2026 and is projected to reach approximately 106,571 by 2051. About one in four residents is already 65 or older, while the proportion aged 75 and older is projected to increase from about 14 per cent to 24 per cent by 2051.
The plan estimates about 560 new housing units will be required annually across the housing spectrum to accommodate projected population growth. Murray stressed that figure is a planning estimate, not a target for the county to build 560 units itself.
OrgCode Consulting Inc., which was hired by the county to develop the plan, examined several scenarios before recommending what Murray described as a “minimum improvement scenario.”
She said even that scenario represents a significant level of investment, co-ordination and change and will require participation from municipalities, non-profit and co-operative housing providers, private developers, landlords, health and social service organizations and other levels of government.
Homelessness increasing
One of the starkest findings involves homelessness.
The county’s By-Name List increased from 21 people experiencing homelessness in January 2023 to 112 in January 2026, representing a 433 per cent increase. By July, the number had reached 128.
County officials cautioned, however, that improved identification and tracking account for some of that increase.
Warden Richard Kidd (Beckwith Reeve) questioned whether the 433 per cent figure fully reflects the actual growth in homelessness, noting people were experiencing homelessness before the county’s current tracking systems captured them.
“It doesn’t change the fact of how many are homeless,” Kidd said, but suggested the increase itself “might not be quite as dramatic.”
Murray agreed improved tracking is a factor.
“Homelessness existed before we were tracking it,” she said, adding numbers can be expected to rise when communities improve their ability to identify people experiencing homelessness.
She said, however, the underlying problem is increasing and is not unique to Lanark County.
In 2025, 225 households entered homelessness while 112 were successfully housed. The number of people being housed has also been increasing, something Kidd highlighted during the discussion.
He also cautioned against interpreting the By-Name List as representing only people sleeping in the streets. Of the numbers shared, 41 people were couch surfing, or staying with friends or other family members.
The county’s definition includes people experiencing hidden homelessness, including those temporarily staying with friends or relatives, as well as people staying in motels, crisis beds and other temporary or unstable accommodations.
“Our definition of homelessness is not maybe what we all envision,” Kidd said.
Rents outpacing incomes
Housing affordability is another major pressure identified in the plan.
Median household income across Lanark County is approximately $77,000, although the income figures used in the report are based on 2020 data, which Smiths Falls Coun. Peter McKenna noted. Median household incomes in Smiths Falls and Perth were approximately $56,000.
Coun. Peter McKenna questioned the age of those figures. He asked whether more current information was available.
Murray said income data is limited between census releases.
Meanwhile, more recent rental data shows the average one-bedroom rent is approximately $1,519, an increase of about 76 per cent over six years.
The plan also says 47.3 per cent of renter households in Smiths Falls, Perth and Carleton Place spend more than 30 per cent of their income on housing, the commonly used affordability threshold.
The average market rent across all unit types is about $2,137 a month, while a median renter household can afford approximately $1,760 under that threshold, leaving an affordability gap of about $377 a month.
County plan sets five priorities
The plan establishes five strategic priorities for the next decade:
- Protecting and making better use of existing housing resources;
- Strengthening system leadership, co-ordination and evidence-based planning;
- Expanding housing supply through partnerships;
- Addressing housing pressures facing seniors and people on fixed incomes; and,
- Improving responses for people with complex needs while emphasizing homelessness prevention and long-term housing stability.
Murray said OrgCode was complimentary about the condition of the county’s existing rent-geared-to-income housing compared with housing the consultants have encountered elsewhere.
The county currently has 812 rent-geared-to-income units, 301 rent subsidies, 119 affordable units and 130 transitional, supportive and crisis accommodation spaces, according to Murray’s presentation.
Those numbers do not represent every housing resource available in Lanark County because some community organizations operate programs independently of the county.
McKenna asked how the broad 10-year strategy will translate into action in individual communities.
Murray said staff will drill further into local needs as the plan is implemented and the county will report annually on its strategic priorities. A more comprehensive update is required every five years.
The plan was developed following a community survey that received 314 responses, two public engagement forums, a stakeholder forum, interviews and site visits throughout the county.
Residents and stakeholders consistently identified a shortage of affordable rental housing, long waits for rent-geared-to-income housing, rising housing costs, concerns for seniors and fixed-income households, limited options for people requiring support and difficulties accessing services in a rural region.
Council endorsed the 2026-2035 Housing and Homelessness Plan in principle and authorized staff to submit it to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for approval.
Murray said the ministry review is expected to take about 90 days. Any requested changes will be brought back to council.
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