Investment in housing top response in Cornwall’s 2026 budget survey

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Over 400 people participated in the city’s 2026 budget survey, which is almost double the amount of residents who participated in 2025.

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The top priority identified as needing the attention from elected officials and city administration was accessible and affordable housing, having received 252 mentions as a priority. This feedback is consistent with 2025 budget survey responses.

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“Residents want council to prioritize investments and policies that increase the supply of affordable, rent geared-to-income, and supportive housing,” reads a statement in the city’s draft 2026 budget document. “There is (also) strong support for reducing red tape, improving permitting processes, and ensuring that tax dollars are spent efficiently.”

The most frequently cited barriers to housing development noted in the survey were high costs (for land, materials, and permits), red tape and regulatory delays, a lack of affordable options, and insufficient support for low-income residents.

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Safety services, including police, fire, and paramedics, ranked second in the list of priorities, having received 164 mentions; infrastructure, including roads, sidewalks, lighting, water, and wastewater, were mentioned 128 times; economic development was mentioned 123 times; quality neighbourhoods, including planning, property standards, and bylaw enforcement were mentioned 109 times, and waterfront development was mentioned 108 times.

Survey respondents were asked to identify the single most important issue that should be addressed in the 2026 budget. Most common responses included reduced spending, affordable housing, and homelessness.

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Several individual survey comments reflected these responses.

“Do not increase property taxes, if the city continues to do so, those of us on fixed incomes will not be able to afford our homes, which would increase the homeless problem. Find the money by cutting the frills such as arts and culture. If the public wants these things let them pay for them,” said one respondent.

“Housing is a crisis not only in Cornwall but all across Canada so sadly this must be looked at as an important issue, but I firmly believe it needs to be done within the city’s capacity and within a pre-approved annual budget. When it comes to homelessness, helping within our capacity is most important,” reads another comment.

“I believe the single most important issue the city should address in the 2026 budget is improving access to affordable housing. Many residents are struggling with rising rents and limited options, so investing in affordable housing programs, quicker development processes, and support services would have the biggest positive impact on the community,” reads another comment.

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Another theme identified from the survey was that residents want more opportunities for meaningful input and better communication about how their feedback is used.

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The majority of respondents, 64 per cent, said they would prefer reducing taxes for citizens and businesses even if it meant a reduction in services, while 36 per cent supported maintaining or increasing services through higher spending and taxes.

Students also participated in the survey, with 73 individuals providing feedback. When asked what the city should spend less on if it wanted to save money, most students responded cutting back on the city’s arts centre. Sports and summer student jobs were identified as having the biggest impact on students lives.

Cornwall city council will meet on Wednesday to discuss all motions that have been submitted with recommended amendments to the draft budget. Currently three motions have been submitted for discussion on Wednesday, one related to a logistics supervisor position with the Cornwall SDG Paramedic Services, and two related to supporting the Social Development Council of Cornwall, SDG and Akwesasne.

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