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Burlington, Ont.—May 25, 2026— The City of Burlington has received an additional $2,112,000 from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) to help further address housing challenges in the city.
Burlington qualified for the additional funding mainly due to its agreement to support the CMHC catalogue and new residential zoning bylaw. The new zoning bylaw expands permissions for a range of low-rise “missing middle” housing, such as Additional Residential Units (ARUs) and townhouse units.
With ongoing investments from the CMHC, a key goal for the City has been to support local property owners and housing providers in building new rental, affordable and missing middle housing and has undertaken a number of strategies, including its:
- New Zoning Bylaw – Phase 1 of Burlington’s New Zoning Bylaw Project is complete, creating a new Residential Zoning Bylaw that will provide a set of rules for land use planning and development across Burlington residential areas. The new bylaw makes the rules easy to use, reflects modern zoning practices, streamlines development approvals and implements the objectives and policies of the new Official Plan (Burlington Official Plan, 2020). The new Zoning Bylaw will be done in phases, with Phase 1 focused on supporting more housing options in Burlington neighbourhoods.
- Housing Connections Centre – The online centre provides residents and developers resources such as standard unit designs with:
- An interactive look-up tool that helps property owners determine whether their property may be suitable for a detached Additional Residential Unit (ARU).
- Garage conversions resource kit
- CMHC design catalogue
The catalogue provides pre-approved housing designs that meet zoning bylaws and Ontario Building Codes. This allows for faster zoning approval and building permits. The City will use the additional CMHC funding to review the CMHC designs to allow for quicker approvals. - Connections to partners, incentives and more information about the benefits of diverse neighbourhoods and how creating new housing can provide options for all Burlington residents.
As Burlington continues to grow, working with community partners, landowners and developers to support the City’s Housing Strategy will continue to be a priority. The City’s ongoing focus is to support the development of complete, low-carbon, climate-resilient communities that are affordable, inclusive, equitable and diverse. This will encourage a range and mix of housing in the city, including the ‘missing middle’.
By the end of 2026, the City is targeting 66 new units for approval as part of the City’s HAF initiative.
For more information, visit burlington.ca/HAF.
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Quick Facts
- On Jan. 15, 2024, the Government of Canada and the City of Burlington announced a $21 million agreement to encourage more affordable homes for Burlington, built faster. HAF is an application-based program that provides funding directly to municipalities across the country to incentivize and support initiatives that will accelerate the supply of housing. Burlington’s Housing Strategy was approved by Council in June 2022. This strategy creates a road map and acts as a guiding document for housing needs in the City of Burlington. It will help the City to work towards meeting the housing needs of the community and move us closer to reaching our Vision for housing in Burlington.
- In October 2023, Burlington City Council unanimously approved a motion to declare its intention to allow four residential units per lot. The motion builds on the City’s recent update to the Additional Residential Unit policies of the Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw to permit up to three residential units per urban residential lot which was approved by Council in September 2023. The motion also supported the City’s application to the Housing Accelerator Fund.
- Missing Middle Housing is a range of different building types with multi units that fill the gap between single-family homes and high-rise buildings. These may include an ARUs (detached or attached) townhouses and other buildings of four storeys or less. The goal is to increase housing options in neighbourhoods, create communities that are walkable with local services and have public transportation options.
Quotes
Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward
“We are in a housing affordability crisis, and the City is doing its part to help residents afford a home in our community, from accessory dwelling units and townhomes to rental and ownership options. Thanks to the progress we’ve already made, Burlington has qualified for the next round of federal funding through the Housing Accelerator Fund. Our new zoning bylaw and streamlined permitting system will help residents add additional units to their homes more quickly, while our Community Improvement Plan will offer grants and other financial incentives to support housing affordability while protecting taxpayers. Together, these initiatives are meaningful progress towards helping more residents find a suitable, affordable home in our community.”
Burlington Deputy Mayor of Housing, Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte
“This is great work on our implementation of some of the key actions in the City’s Housing Strategy, including updated zoning. As Burlington continues to grow, this additional Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) investment will support the development of complete, low-carbon, and climate-resilient communities that are affordable, inclusive, equitable, and diverse.
The HAF, Burlington Housing Community Improvement Plan and new residentials zoning bylaws are helping us reach our vision for housing: “Everyone is welcome in Burlington”. Let's keep working together to make housing attainable and affordable for everyone in Burlington.”
Links and Resources
Pre-Building Approval Application
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Media contact:
City of Burlington Communications
communications@burlington.ca
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