Community Foundation Grey Bruce Unveils Plans for New Local Housing Development Corporation
CFGB announces plan to support affordable housing through new Community Development Corporation for region
In response to the region’s deepening housing crisis, Community Foundation Grey Bruce (CFGB) has announced plans to incubate a new not-for-profit corporation dedicated to supporting community-led housing projects across Grey and Bruce counties.
The group says the new entity — Grey Bruce Community Development Corporation (CDC) — will focus initially on affordable housing, aiming to bridge gaps between ideas and implementation by providing technical support, mentorship, and access to new social finance tools like community bonds.
“This isn’t about replacing the great work happening in our community,” said Stuart Reid, Executive Director of CFGB. “It’s about helping housing projects move from idea to reality by providing tools, expertise, and connections.”
What the CDC Will Do
According to CFGB, the new CDC will:
Mentor and support community housing initiatives with technical advice and planning expertise
Explore innovative financing models, including community bonds, to unlock local investment
Initiate and support the development or protection of affordable housing stock in the region
Facilitate collaboration between municipalities, developers, and non-profit partners
Community Development Corporations exist in many forms across Canada and internationally, typically with a mandate to strengthen economic and social well-being. This new CDC will be tailored to local needs and shaped by community input and collaboration.
Building on Existing Work
The move builds on ongoing housing conversations in the region, including the Housing and Social Finance Learning Circle led by the Institute of Southern Georgian Bay, and CFGB’s own Vital Focus on Housing report released in 2023.
Both emphasized the need for community-rooted, cross-sector partnerships to address housing challenges in meaningful and lasting ways.
“We believe housing solutions should be created in partnership with the community,” said Rick Hill, Chair of the CFGB Board. “This CDC is about building community resiliency on many fronts, with housing being an immediate priority for new collaboration.”
New Leadership to Support Development
To help guide the formation of the CDC, Ryan Deska has joined CFGB as Strategic Initiatives Consultant on Housing, effective November 1.
Deska brings extensive experience in rural housing and social finance, including his work with Habitat for Humanity Guelph Wellington, where he helped develop a successful community bonds program — a model CFGB previously supported.
What This Means for Grey-Bruce Residents
While still in the early stages, the Grey Bruce CDC aims to become a key resource for grassroots housing efforts — particularly those led by small organizations or community groups that may lack the infrastructure to move projects forward.
CFGB’s role is to incubate the corporation, help set its direction, and ensure it aligns with local priorities as identified through years of community consultation and data-gathering.
The long-term goal, CFGB says, is to create a platform for local collaboration that helps unlock more affordable housing across the region — not through top-down directives, but by supporting locally driven, well-supported solutions.
Related:
