Burlington Housing Strategy

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Burlington’s Housing Strategy was approved by Council in June 2022.

This strategy creates a road map and acts as a guiding document for housing needs in the City of Burlington. It will help the City to work towards meeting the housing needs of the community and move us closer to reaching our Vision for housing in Burlington.

The Housing Strategy identifies 12 recommended actions that the City and other strategic decision-makers can take to increase housing options across the City. It provides a list of priority actions, quick wins and an implementation plan to put the Housing Strategy into action.

For more information, read the Housing Strategy..

Burlington’s Housing Strategy was approved by Council in June 2022.

This strategy creates a road map and acts as a guiding document for housing needs in the City of Burlington. It will help the City to work towards meeting the housing needs of the community and move us closer to reaching our Vision for housing in Burlington.

The Housing Strategy identifies 12 recommended actions that the City and other strategic decision-makers can take to increase housing options across the City. It provides a list of priority actions, quick wins and an implementation plan to put the Housing Strategy into action.

For more information, read the Housing Strategy..

  • City of Burlington secures $21M from Housing Accelerator Fund

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    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

  • Burlington City Council unanimously approves motion to declare its intention to allow four residential units per residential lot

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    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.

  • Additional Residential Units: Statutory Public Meeting and Recommendation Report for City-Initiated Amendments to Official Plan, 2020 and Zoning By-Law 2020

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    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.

  • Burlington Housing Strategy Update report

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    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.

  • Housing Strategy to be presented on June 7

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    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

  • May 12 Working Group Meeting agenda, action items and recording

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    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.


  • May 2 Open House- presentation and recording

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    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 of Burlington is inviting residents and stakeholders to a final engagement opportunity on its Housing Strategy from April 19 until May 3.

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    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.


  • April 25 Open House- presentation, Q &A and recording

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    The April 25 Open House presentation and Q & A 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.





  • April 21 Working Group Meeting agenda, action items and recording

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    The April 21 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.


Page last updated: 16 Jan 2024, 12:38 PM