What is a Community Improvement Plan?
A Community Improvement Plan (CIP) is a tool used by municipalities in Ontario to promote community development and improvement using financial incentives and actions. The Planning Act allows municipalities to designate specific areas for improvement to address issues, such as housing needs. Once established, a CIP allows municipalities to provide grants, loans and other incentives to landowners. These can be used to help with eligible costs to prepare land and build or restore buildings on private and public properties.
View the Community Improvement Plan
City of Burlington’s Affordable Rental Housing Community Improvement Plan
On April 15, 2025, Council adopted the Burlington Affordable Rental Housing Community Improvement Plan (CIP). The CIP has 10 financial incentive programs that are designed to help create a variety of affordable rental housing options in Burlington’s urban area. This includes:
- grants
- forgivable loans
- municipal fee waivers
- development charges help
- brownfields tax help
Implementing the CIP
Over the next 10 years, the CIP programs will help address strategic housing needs and priorities. The City may implement any number of financial incentives outlined in the CIP during the implementation period, depending on the availability of City funds and/or other resources.
In 2025, the City implemented CIP incentives for new affordable rental ARUs through the Additional Residential Unit Incentive Program (closed Oct. 1, 2025) with funding from the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF). New affordable rental housing incentive programs or updates for 2026 will be introduced on the Housing Connections Centre webpage.