“The good news is that we have a track record of success in that regard. Starting in 2018, we began to experience a significant increase in residential growth that intensified substantially through the pandemic.” With approximately 8,000 housing units existing, the town has approved plans that will dramatically expand its housing capacity in the coming years. “We have up to 3,700 units approved, representing strong growth off of our existing unit base that’s projected to come to Tillsonburg in the next five to 15 years,” Panschow explains. “There’s a lot of residential growth coming our way.” Unlike many communities where housing development focuses exclusively on market-rate options, Tillsonburg is leveraging public-private partnerships through its community improvement plan to address affordability concerns. The town provides tax rebates to qualifying development projects that include below-market units. “In a particular project, they’re building a 132unit building where 29 units are affordable or attainable—approximately 20% at below market rates,” says Panschow. “Affordability is critical and a big part of the discussion. In Tillsonburg, we’re making it happen with the support of the council and the leadership of our private sector builders.” This approach aligns with emerging best practices in municipal housing development, where communities increasingly require mixed-income components in new developments to maintain economic diversity. Housing experts point to such integrated approaches as more sustainable than creating separate 146 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 05
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