Niagara Region has passed its 2026 budget, which plans on putting money into things people use, like housing, roads, emergency services, and growth across the region.
The plan includes a $192.8 million capital budget for projects like road resurfacing, new ambulance posts, housing-related growth, and upgrades to water and wastewater systems, without adding extra taxes for those big builds.
The plan also includes new spending to maintain and upgrade existing community housing, grow the housing supply, and improve safety and support in homeless shelters, while also continuing the Region’s broader Supportive Housing Strategy. Nearly $50 million in the capital budget is aimed at housing-related growth, helping prepare roads, services, and infrastructure for new homes.
Staff also found over $16 million in savings to help keep costs down while protecting day-to-day services.
For the average homeowner, the new budget works out to about $137 more on the Region part of the tax bill, or roughly $211 total for the year.
(Written by: Matt Latour)