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A new report from the Residential ��������ion Council of Ontario (RESCON) outlines 2025 as a stellar year for new rental apartment construction in Brantford.

RESCON’s Q3 2025 GTA and GGH Housing Report Card, which was released in early December, says 537 new rental apartments were being built in the city in 2025.

That is a significant upswing, as the report points out an average of only 28 rental apartment units have been built in Brantford annually since 2018.

This sets the city apart from the majority of the municipalities examined in the Greater Toronto Area and Greater Golden Horseshoe that the report found to be in dire states of new home starts.

The report was done by the Middle Missing Initiative at the University of Ottawa, and the assessment is based on data obtained from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Altus Group.

It examined 34 municipalities across nine metro areas and assessed the status of housing sales and construction over the first nine months of 2025, relative to the first nine months of the previous four years.

Each municipality was given a grade, with many receiving a failing mark. However, Brantford was the only one that received an A, being beat out only by Newmarket, which received an A+.

Overall, collective findings are that over the nine-months studied, housing starts were down from the same period in the previous three-years and industry job losses are on the continual rise. 

“Brantford is one of the few bright spots across the province, surpassing its housing target by a substantial amount. Kudos to the city for encouraging residential construction, particularly in the condo and rental apartment sectors. Housing starts in Brantford have increased significantly compared to the same point in previous years and resulted in the addition of 1,240 new jobs to the local economy,” said RESCON president Richard Lyall.

Of particular interest in Brantford are 288 condo apartment starts in 2025 versus an average of 94 over the years 2021 to 2024. For the same period, Brantford boasts 537 rental apartment starts last year versus an average of 28 over the aforementioned four-years. These findings both warranted an A+ grade or 100 per cent grade in the study. 

According to City of Brantford officials, 2025 was a standout year due to a combination of factors.

For example, since 2020, the city has implemented improvements to the building permit and development approval processes to make them faster, more efficient, and more accessible.

This includes the launch of an online permit application system called Cloudpermit, digital plan review tools and a reorganization of the building department that increased technical staff by 30 per cent.

“By modernizing our building permit process, introducing incentive programs like development charge waivers for CMHC-financed affordable units and the Tax Incremental Grant program, and maintaining development charges that are far lower than those in the GTA, we’ve made it easier for developers to bring much-needed housing to our community,” said Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis.

“Our single-tier structure also simplifies approvals, which developers value. This progress not only helps meet the demand for rental units but also drives job creation and economic vitality. We’re excited to build on this success in 2026 and continue shaping a prosperous future for Brantford.”

“The steps taken by Brantford, which include getting zoning and site plans approved faster, is encouraging as the slow approvals process is one of the biggest problems facing builders. It is refreshing to see a municipality being so aggressive in streamlining the process,” added Lyall. “It is critical for municipalities across the province to take action to speed up the approvals process and get shovels in the ground quicker.”