Community Improvement Plan Study is Underway

As part of the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF), Burlington is working on a housing-focused Community Improvement Plan (CIP). Staff are working with a consultant to deliver the CIP.

The CIP will work on three initiatives in the City’s Housing Accelerator Fund Action Plan:

  • Implementing Major Transit Station Areas and Community Planning Permit System.
  • 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.
  • Identify opportunities to incentivize the creation of rental and non-market housing.


The CIP will help with housing needs of our residents by incentivizing the creation of new rental housing and more affordable housing options, like:

  • New units to meet HAF housing targets before December 2026:
    • Affordable housing
    • Additional Residential Units (i.e. Garden suites, secondary suites, garage conversions, detached modular)
    • Duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, row houses or courtyard housing
    • Low-rise apartments (4 storeys or less).
  • Supportive housing
  • Larger rental units in low to high-rise buildings (i.e. 3-bedroom units)
  • Barrier-free units in low to high-rise buildings or Additional Residential Units


Community Improvement Plan incentives will help landowners increase the number of units on their properties. It will help developers increase the number of units in their projects. The CIP project aligns with the Official Plan Amendment to Increase Housing Options Study which will enable four units per residential lot, including additional residential units (ARUs).


What is a CIP?

A Community Improvement Plan (CIP) is a land use planning tool that allows municipalities like Burlington to provide grants and loans and other incentives to private landowners to help the City meet its housing goals. For example, the incentives can help to cover development costs for new affordable housing units.

Why is the City doing a CIP Study?

The CIP Study supports the City’s Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) Action Plan. It identifies incentives to help create new rental housing and more affordable housing options. The CIP study will determine effective approaches, programs and tools and align with the City’s Housing Strategy, HAF Action Plan initiatives and the Burlington Official Plan, 2020. The study will look at best practices, market trends and emerging updates from the Province.

Why do we Need a Housing CIP?

We need more rental and affordable housing, and the CIP can make this happen.

Owning a home is not affordable for many Burlington residents. Only households with higher incomes can afford a home in Burlington unless they have a down payment greater than five per cent or spend more than 30 per cent of their income on housing costs. The City needs a wider range of housing options, including rentals. The 2021 Housing Needs and Opportunities Study showed that at least 200 rental units need to be added to Burlington each year.

How is the Study being funded?

The CIP Study is being funded by the Federal Government of Canada’s Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF). The HAF will also provide funding for the financial incentive programs for the first two years of the program, until the end of 2027.

Work Program

The CIP Study is being done in three stages and will be done in 2025. There will be opportunities for you to give input and help shape the City’s first housing-focused CIP.

Get Involved! We want you to be part of the CIP Study! Stay tuned for upcoming engagement where you can share your thoughts, ideas and concerns.

Check out the poll questions tab on the page to give us some feedback!

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