Brantford City Council officially ratified the Fox Ridge Business Plan during their regular meeting on Tuesday, November 25, 2025.
The plan marks a significant milestone in the municipality’s multi-year effort to strengthen the local housing and homelessness system. The approved plan sets out a clear, phased roadmap for transforming the former long-term care facility into a fully integrated housing hub that will provide emergency shelter, transitional housing, supportive services, and eventually permanent affordable housing options.
The business plan outlines a three-phase development approach for the 4.82-acre site. Phase one focuses on creating new emergency shelter capacity for families, couples, women, and vulnerable individuals, with renovations targeted for completion by October 1, 2026.
Phase two will introduce transitional and supportive housing with onsite access to health, social, and stabilization supports. Phase three will move into the development of permanent housing, with preliminary designs suggesting the site could support 72 to 144 modular units that align with provincial and federal construction funding priorities.
Council’s ratification authorizes staff to proceed with all recommended service delivery actions in the plan, including implementing a hybrid support model overseen by the City. It also confirms the approved capital investment of $11.47 million for acquisition and phase one renovations, funded through a combination of the Affordable Housing Reserve and the Province’s Building Faster Fund.
“The ratification of this Business Plan allows us to move forward with a coordinated and comprehensive approach to addressing homelessness in our community,” said Mary Musson, Commissioner of Community Services and Social Development. “Fox Ridge gives us the ability to provide safer, more stable, and more appropriate housing pathways while reducing our reliance on temporary, costly measures. This is about building a system that supports people with dignity, strengthens partnerships, and creates long-term solutions.”
Beginning January 1, 2026, a portion of the Fox Ridge building will also be temporarily leased to Six Nations of the Grand River Long Term Care to house approximately 50 elders displaced by the June 2025 flooding that forced the closure of Iroquois Lodge. This temporary placement provides care close to home while allowing the City to continue renovations in the unused wings of the building without disrupting residents.
Mayor Kevin Davis added “this partnership reflects our ongoing commitment to working closely with Six Nations and our regional partners to support residents in meaningful ways. By moving this plan forward, we are taking an important step toward building a more coordinated and compassionate housing system for everyone in our community.”
