Ontario Construction News staff writer
Burlington has received a third funding payment under its $21.16 million Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) agreement with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, as the city pushes forward with plans to speed up local housing development.
The most recent $5.3 million will help support ongoing efforts to increase housing availability and aid the city in reaching its HAF goal of 2,724 new housing units approved by the end of 2026. By the end of 2025, Burlington had already given the green light for 1,664 units.
City officials state that this funding will further support initiatives aimed at boosting housing starts while ensuring that new developments fit well within surrounding neighborhoods and align with long-term community planning objectives.
As part of its HAF agreement and action plan, Burlington committed to seven essential initiatives aimed at streamlining approvals and unlocking new housing supply. The city reports that all seven initiatives have now been completed and are in effect:
Simplification of planning and building approval processes to improve speed, predictability and customer experience Approval of Major Transit Station Area (MTSA) policies and progress toward a Community Planning Permit System to support intensification around the city’s three GO Transit stations Official plan and zoning amendments increasing as-of-right permissions for Additional Residential Units (ARUs) and reducing parking requirements, allowing up to three ARUs per urban residential lot where requirements are met Launch of an Affordable Rental Housing Community Improvement Plan offering grants, forgivable loans and fee waivers to support new rental and affordable housing Creation of an online Housing Connections Centre as a centralized access point for housing resources, programs and partnerships Introduction of an ARU Incentive Program to support new affordable rentals and bring existing units into compliance with building standards Acquisition of land for future affordable housing development
The city has also introduced additional tools such as an ARU property eligibility look-up tool along with a Garage Conversion Toolkit designed to assist homeowners in creating legal residential units. A broader review of development application fees is also in progress to further aid housing delivery.
Officials mention that this third installment will help carry on ongoing work, assist with any necessary policy or zoning changes, and streamline planning and permitting systems even more so that housing targets can be met.
“Together with our federal partners, we’re making progress on creating more affordable housing for our residents,” said Mayor Marianne Meed Ward. “With federal funding, we have accelerated housing supply, with more than 1600 units already permitted, while also ensuring that development aligns with our community’s values and vision for the future – with affordable housing at the right scale in the right location.”
For Burlington, these HAF investments aim to turn policy changes into real increases in available homes across the city as both population growth and demand for housing keep rising.
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