Building Housing

Through the Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan, we provide financial incentives to stimulate the construction of affordable housing in our community.

Providing affordable housing is a major social issue and a priority for most urban communities across Ontario. By providing relief on fees for planning approvals, development charges, and property taxes, we can help lower rents, creating more affordable housing for residents. The Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan also embraces home ownership models.

Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan programs

There are several programs under the Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan, including:

• Municipal Incentive Program – refunds municipal fees such as planning application fees, parkland fees, and cash-in-lieu of parking fees for affordable housing projects.
• Development Charges Program – refunds development charges for any new affordable housing units, subject to available funding.
• Tax Increment Grant Program – an annual grant to property owners, reimbursing a portion of the municipal property tax increase resulting from increased assessment over a period of nine years.

Please see the Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan Application Form to apply for any available incentives.

2026/2027 Funding Status

As of July 2026, 79 projects have been approved for Municipal Incentive Program funding between 2025 and 2027, representing just over $5.7 million in committed incentives (up to $80,000 per affordable unit). The current allocation is fully committed, and additional applicants are being added to a waitlist for any funding that becomes available.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to submit an application early, as approvals will be prioritized in the order applications are received.

Regardless of Municipal Incentive Program funding availability, eligible affordable housing projects can still access other incentives, including Affordable Development Charge exemptions, the Tax Increment Grant Program, and, for Council-approved applicants, a Municipal Housing Facility Designation that would enable a stackable 10-year tax exemption.

Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact Housing with questions about the available incentives. They should also see the Missing Middle and Central Area CIPs for other relevant incentive programs that may apply.

Note: Council has also approved a 50% reduction in Development Charges for all new residential development types, effective June 30, 2026, for three years, as part of the City's participation in the Province of Ontario's Development Charge Reduction Program (DCRP). This applies broadly to all new residential development, not just affordable housing, and is separate from the AHCIP's affordable-housing-specific Development Charges Program exemption.  

National Housing Strategy

Canada's overall plan is the National Housing Strategy. Canada's initiatives help you create new housing supply. The online Affordable Housing Centre has resources from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.