Burlington Housing Strategy

Both the City’s Housing Strategy and Federal Housing Accelerator Fund application identified the need for the City to undertake the development of a Community Improvement Plan (CIP) to support a wide range of housing objectives. Staff Report PL-56-24: Community Improvement Plan Study Draft Terms of Reference presents a terms of reference for Council endorsement. If endorsed, the City will expeditiously move forward to obtain consultant support to deliver this important initiative.

On July 8, the Committee of the Whole will consider the report and recommendation. The report can be found in the Agenda Meeting Package for the July 8th, 2024 Committee of the Whole. Those wishing to delegate can pre-register to speak as a delegate by Friday July 5, at noon. See the Council and Committees Calendar for further information.

We are working together to increase housing options in our neighbourhoods.

We need to keep talking about our community’s housing needs so we can carry out:

• Actions of the Housing Strategy;
  • Action 6 – Build upon the policies of the Official Plan, 2020 and the findings of the Housing Strategy Project to inform the Comprehensive Zoning By-law (CZBL) project, to assist in broadening the range and mix of housing in the City and to explore tools to streamline processes.
  • Action 7 – Support, permit, and encourage the development of alternate forms of housing, including higher density types of housing, where feasible and appropriate.
  • Action 11 - Encourage Additional Residential Units (ARUs) and consider a registry and monitoring program to evaluate the success of the framework and to make sure the ARUs meet health and safety standards.
• Council’s motion to go from three units as-of-right to four units as-of-right; and
• The creation of more housing at a faster pace, as part of the Housing Accelerator Fund Action Plan.

This is just a part of what we need to do to meet our vision for housing in Burlington:

Everyone is welcome in Burlington. Burlington is a city where all current and future residents have access to the housing options that meet their needs at all stages of life, and that are attainable at all income levels.

This survey is the first of many opportunities for you to get involved in this project.

Please follow the link to the survey

The survey is available until June 14, 2024.

Today the Government of Canada and the City of Burlington announced a $21 million agreement to encourage more affordable homes for Burlington, built faster. Today’s announcement was attended by the Honourable Minister Karina Gould, MP for Oakville North – Burlington Pam Damoff, Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and Deputy Mayor of Housing, Burlington Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte.

The funding is through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)’s Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF). HAF is an application-based program that provides funding directly to municipalities across the country to incentivize and support initiatives that will accelerate the supply of housing.

Action Plan for this investment in Burlington

These funds will support the implementation of some of the key actions in the City’s Housing Strategy, including expanding housing opportunities for Burlington residents by cutting red tape and implementing updated zoning.

As Burlington continues to grow, this significant investment will support the development of complete, low-carbon, and climate-resilient communities that are affordable, inclusive, equitable and diverse.

The City’s HAF Action Plan includes seven initiatives:

1. Streamlining planning and building approval process.
2. Implementing Major Transit Station Areas and Community Planning Permit System.
3. Support and encourage the creation of additional residential units and consider opportunities to increase as of right permissions. Burlington is proposing four units as of right and a no parking minimum pilot within a specific geographic area.
4. Identify opportunities to incentivize the creation of rental and non-market housing.
5. Build community and partner capacity by creating a Housing Connections Centre.
6. Public lands and partnerships.
7. Municipal infrastructure needs.

Quicker Approvals

One of the City’s proposed projects focuses around Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs) and the development of a new tool, the Community Planning Permit System (CPPS). This will allow for quicker approvals on high-density developments without the need for re-zoning.

Housing Connections Centre

Another key initiative to support this Action Plan is the Housing Connections Centre. This centre will provide residents and developers resources like:

• standard unit designs
• ways to connect with partners,
• access to incentives, and
• information about
  • the benefits of diverse neighbourhoods and
  • how creating new housing can provide options for all Burlington residents

Quick Facts

The Housing Accelerator Fund helps cut red tape and fast track at least 100,000 new homes for people in towns, cities, and Indigenous communities across the country. It asks for innovative action plans from local governments, and once approved, provides upfront funding to ensure the timely building of new homes, as well as additional funds upon delivering results. Every agreement under the Housing Accelerator Fund will require municipalities to end exclusionary zoning and encourage apartment building around public transit in order to help seniors, students, and families. Local governments are encouraged to think big and be bold in their approaches, which could include accelerating project timelines, allowing increased housing density, and encouraging affordable housing units

On October 17, Burlington City Council unanimously approved a motion to declare its intention to allow four residential units per lot.

The motion builds on the City’s recent update to the Additional Residential Unit policies of the Official Plan and Zoning By-law to permit up to three residential units per urban residential lot which was approved by Council in September 2023. The motion also supports the City’s application to the Housing Accelerator Fund.

The motion memorandum directs Staff to engage with the community to implement four units as-of-right and the other actions of the Housing Strategy, including implementing opportunities to increase housing options.

This work will soon be underway, details about this work and how to get involved, will be posted to this webpage as they become available. For the most up to date information, please subscribe to this project page by clicking the button at the bottom of this page.

If you are interested in considering an additional residential unit on your property, please check out the City’s Additional Residential Units webpage and the Pre-Building Approval Application.

City of Burlington staff will present a recommendation report regarding a City-Initiated Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-Law Amendment to expand permissions for additional residential units in compliance with the Planning Act, to Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility Committee on Tuesday, September 12, 2023 at 9:30am.

Those wishing to delegate at the meeting can register to speak to delegate by Monday September 11 at noon.

City of Burlington staff will present a Burlington Housing strategy update report to the Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility Committee on Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at 9:30 a.m.

Those wishing to delegate at the meeting can register to speak as a delegate by Monday, May 29 at noon.

City of Burlington staff will present its final Housing Strategy, Staff report and recommendation for approval of the Strategy to the Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility Committee on Tuesday, June 7, 2022 at 9:30 a.m. for review and consideration by Burlington City Council. Those wishing to delegate at the meeting can complete the online delegation registration form or email the Office of the City Clerk at clerks@burlington.ca. by noon on Monday, June 6.

The Housing Strategy sets out the long-term vision for housing in Burlington. The Strategy is built on a set of themes, a series of pathways for implementation and sets out 12 actions that contribute to moving closer to that overall vision for housing in Burlington. Once approved, the Housing Strategy project will move from strategy to action.

Phase 1 Wrap-up

The Housing Strategy project has two phases. If the Housing Strategy is approved by Committee and then Council on June 21, the delivery of the Housing Strategy will conclude Phase 1. Phase 2 will focus on implementing the Housing Strategy. Many of the actions will need more study and public input

The May 12 Working Group meeting agenda and action items and presentation are now available. They can also be found on this page in the document library. The recording of the meeting is now available. To enable the closed captioning, hover over the video and select the CC icon.

The May 2 Open House presentation and recording are now available. They can also be found on this page in the document library. The recording of the meeting is now available. To enable the closed captioning, hover over the video and select the CC icon.

The City is looking for your feedback on the draft Housing Strategy! There are lots of ways to get involved and give your feedback - take the online survey, attend one of our Virtual Open House on April 23, April 25 or May 2, or comment directly on the draft Housing Strategy document using our new online tool, Konveio. You can also host a Focus Group on the draft Housing Strategy with your network, or Meet with a Planner to share your comments. You can take the survey and comment using Konveio until May 3 at noon.

All of this feedback will help the City as we completes our work on the Housing Strategy. We hope to give current and future residents more housing options across the city. The Housing Strategy is an chance to develop creative and innovative solutions for housing in Burlington, that build on and support the Halton Region’s Comprehensive Housing Strategy.

The draft Housing Strategy:

• outlines the vision for Housing in Burlington - the themes, actions and pathways to achieve actions.
• outlines 13 actions which will move the City of Burlington closer to the vision for Housing in the City.
• outlines the implementation plan for the actions based on what can be accomplished in the short, medium and long-term.

City staff will use the feedback from the fourth and last round of engagement to finalize the Housing Strategy which will be presented to the Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility Committee and Council in June.