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The City of Peterborough's Planning, Development and Urban Design Division undertakes projects and completes studies and reports to guide land use planning decisions and support the vision, goals and objectives of the Official Plan. Learn more about key planning initiatives, commitments and reports on this page.
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The Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) is a federal program run by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to accelerate the construction of more housing.
The City is eligible to receive $10.69M in funding over three years (2025-2027) through the HAF. The City has already received funding for Year 1 in the amount of $2.67M. Years 2 and 3 of funding is contingent upon the City meeting the milestones in its Action Plan and housing target of 1,410 housing units. Of the 1,410 housing units, 356 units are fast-tracked and incented by the HAF funding and 244 housing units are targeted as affordable.
By way of agreement, the City committed to permit 1,410 housing units between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2027 and to accelerate permitted units by implementing the City's Action Plan and initiatives. Details regarding the City of Peterborough's HAF Action Plan and initiatives is available below. The HAF grant will cover the cost of implementing these initiatives.
1. Reduce or eliminate residential parking requirements
Initiative Status: Completed
2. End exclusionary zoning and incentivize missing middle housing
Initiative Status: Completed
3. Increase process efficiency by implementing a public facing e-permitting portal
Initiative Status: Completed
Relevant Link:
4. Implement a Community Planning Permit System
Initiative Status: Completed
5. Make City-owned land available and partner to develop housing
Initiative Status: Completed
6. Housing innovation and alternative construction methods
Initiative Status: Completed
Relevant Links:
7. Modernizing the Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan
Initiative Status: Completed
Relevant Links:
The City's Housing Needs Assessment is a study that helps identify current and future housing needs, address gaps in housing supply and support recommendations for local housing policies and initiatives. This report is required for the City to access federal funding through the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) and Canada Community-Building Fund (CCBF).
As part of this work, some areas require further analysis and the City will endeavour to conduct this analysis and report on these units in future needs assessments and/or other studies. The City is required to update its Housing Needs Assessment every five years.
The Province's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing assigned the City of Peterborough with a housing target of 4,700 new homes by 2031. City Council has endorsed the City of Peterborough's Housing Pledge outlining the strategies and actions to facilitate the construction of 4,700 new housing units by 2031.
The Province assigned the City with annual housing targets for 2023-2025, totaling 1,207 units. The City has achieved 111% of its 2023-2025 housing target, for a total of 1,345 units. Correspondingly, the City has received over $3.5M from the Province through the Building Faster Fund.
City of Peterborough Annual Housing Targets and Progress 2023-2025
| Year | Annual Housing Target, number of units | Annual Housing Progress, number of units | Annual Housing Progress by percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 345 | 506 | 147% |
| 2024 | 392 | 294 | 75% |
| 2025 | 470 | 545 | 116% |
| Total (2023-25) | 1,207 | 1,345 | 111% |
Table updated July 16, 2026
As of June 29th, 2026, the City has passed the new city-wide Community Planning Permit By-law 26-081 under Section 34 of the Planning Act. The CPPS will replace the City’s Zoning By-law and regulate how land is used, and create a framework for development and redevelopment approvals for all lands within the City. The CPPS is a land use planning tool which combines three current development approval processes (Zoning By-law Amendments, Minor Variances and Site Plan applications) into one single application and approval process. The resulting CPP By-law, will ultimately provide development regulations that align with the Official Plan’s vision for new development and redevelopment.
The City’s new Official Plan includes a series of policy commitments and initiatives to support the achievement of the vision and objectives that guide the growth and development of the City.
The Official Plan Implementation Strategy is a high-level work plan that provides guidance and confirms priorities for the policy commitments of the Plan.
The City undertook ten initiatives that make systemic changes to the City’s development approvals process, clear application backlog, and build both staff and developer capacity for efficient and trackable development approvals. The initiatives were funded by the Provincial Government through the Streamline Development Approvals Fund Grant Program.
The Program is a one-time financial tool intended to help Ontario’s 39 largest municipalities modernize, streamline and accelerate their processes for managing and approving development applications. The City of Peterborough has utilized this fund to undertake multiple projects and hire temporary staff and peer review consultants to achieve these objectives. The projects undertaken have established the rationale for additional staff to support development application review, will streamline development approvals with new standards and guidelines, and will modernize the City’s system for receiving, processing and tracking applications and for communicating with Applicants.
Report IPGPL23-001 - Streamline Development Approval Funding Program Update
The City has undertaken a comprehensive review of the Development Approval Process to identify and examine opportunities for improvements. The objective is to develop more efficient and consistent processes and improve service delivery, both internally and externally.
The Development Approval Process review was funded by the Provincial Government through the Audit and Accountability Fund Grant Program. The intent of the Audit and Accountability Fund Grant Program is to support Ontario municipalities that are committed to identifying and implementing service delivery efficiencies. The program requires an impartial and objective third-party review to identify efficiencies.
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City Hall
500 George St. N.
Peterborough, ON
K9H 3R9
Phone: 705-742-7777
Toll Free: 1-855-738-3755
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