Group Homes

• A single housekeeping unit supervised by staff on a daily basis which provides special care and treatment to persons for physical or mental deficiency, physical handicap or other such cause
• Funded, licensed, approved or supervised by the Province of Ontario under a general or specific Act
• For the accommodation of:
  • Six to eight residents, exclusive of staff
  • Outside the Urban Improvement Area boundary, the maximum number of residents permitted is ten, exclusive of staff 

• A single housekeeping unit supervised by staff on a daily basis for persons who have been placed on probation, released on parole or admitted for correctional purposes
• Funded, licensed, approved or supervised by the Province of Ontario
• For the accommodation of:
  • Three to eight residents, exclusive of staff
  • Outside the Urban Improvement Area boundary, the maximum number of residents permitted is ten, exclusive of staff 

• In a dwelling unit
• In apartment buildings over 3 storeys, one group home is permitted for each 30 units and subject to one group home per floor
• Minimum distance between a Group Home or a Correctional Group Home and another Group Home or Correctional group home property: 400 m 

Registration Fees

• Zoning Certificate (Please contact Zoning for current schedule of fees)
• Group Home Registration: $255.00 (No HST) 

Registration Fees

• Group Home Renewal: $51.00 (No HST)

1. Pick up a group home application from Service Burlington at City Hall or print the forms that are available on line.

• Group Home Registration Form [PDF]
• Group Home Renewal Form [PDF]

2. Complete the application including:

• Written confirmation from the Planning and Building Department that the site conforms to the zoning by-law. planning@burlington.ca
• Written clearance from the Fire Department. fire@burlington.ca
• Written notification from the approving ministry or government agency that it has issued a license to, granted approval for funding of or entered into an agreement with the group home.
• The relevant registration fee.

3. Hold a public information meeting 

Your organization must host a public information meeting prior to occupancy of the group home. The Clerks Department will help facilitate the distribution of the notices, at a cost to the group home. We encourage you to host the meeting in the group home. This gives the neighbours an opportunity to see the home, which eases tension and gives neighbours a first-hand look at the home and how it will operate.

Prior to the meeting you are required to give notice to residents within 120 metres of the group home property. The notices will be distributed by the City of Burlington using your organization's letterhead. This is to ensure that the public notification conditions of the Group Home Registration By-law are met.

If you cannot hold the public information meeting in the group home then it may be helpful to hold an additional open house after the home is occupied. This allows the neighbours to meet your staff and residents in the group home in a home-like setting. 

Once the necessary items are satisfied, the City of Burlington will register your group home. You will receive a letter confirming your registration and the home will be noted in the City's database.

Each year after your registration, you will receive a renewal notice from the Registrar. If the nature of the group home has changed during the year since registration or your last renewal, advise the Registrar of the change and the nature of the change. 

City of Burlington City Hall, 426 Brant Street, P.O. Box 5013 Burlington, ON L7R 3Z6

• Zoning Examiner, Community Planning (Second level) - 905-335-7642, planning@burlington.ca
• Group Homes Registration, Service Burlington (Main floor) - 905-335-7777, city@burlington.ca
• Fire Department Public Education Officer - 905-637-9536, fire@burlington.ca 

• Once you have possession of the home, introduce yourselves to neighbours. Be open and friendly.
• Don't hide the fact that you will be operating a group home. Assure neighbours that you will be like their other neighbours - approachable, friendly and concerned about the neighbourhood. Group homes are sometimes seen to be occupied by 'transients', people for the short term with no interest in the neighbourhood or the community. Anything you can do to dispel this impression will help the transition.
• Remember that Burlington City Council supports group homes in Burlington as a right. Contact your ward Councillor so they know what's going on and can answer any questions from neighbours (the Registrar can provide you with your Councillor's name and phone number).

• Maintain your property and show caring about the neighbourhood
• Keep the grass cut and weeds at a minimum, including the boulevard between the sidewalk and the road
• Put recycling bins and garbage cans away as soon as possible after garbage collection
• Park in your driveway and avoid on-street parking when you can
• Keep your fence in good repair
• Use timers so that your exterior lights are not on all night
• Use coordinated window coverings
• Rake or mulch leaves in the fall
• Shovel the driveway and sidewalks as soon as possible after snow falls
• Clean your windows in the spring 

Police dropping off residents in handcuffs or public outbursts of anger or coarse language within proximity to a group home are examples of incidents that can lead to a sense of uneasiness about the safety of a neighbourhood. Avoiding these will help your relationship with neighbours. If there is such an occurrence, consider speaking directly to neighbours to explain what happened and what steps have been taken to avoid a reoccurrence.

Fire safety will continue to be your responsibility. Under the Ontario Fire Code, building owners are required to maintain safety in buildings. Group homes in Burlington are inspected prior to occupancy and on an annual basis. The following items are important to maintain a safe building and remain in compliance with the Ontario Fire Code:

• Maintain any special equipment or conditions outlined in the initial fire inspection of your group home
• Test and maintain smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors on all levels
• Develop and enforce smoking policies for staff and residents
• Provide ongoing fire safety training to staff and residents
• Use reputable contractors to annually inspect and regularly maintain heating appliances
• Contact the Building Department prior to making alterations to your building(s)
• Maintain accurate records of testing and checking equipment (retain for at least two years)
• Eliminate the use of extension cords and candles
• Consider retaining a fire protection company under contract to provide regular testing and maintenance of equipment (i.e. fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, emergency lighting)