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    • Homeowners
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    • Public Servants
    • City/Town Allowances
    • Your Stories
    • Solutions!
    • References
    • Contact
  • Home
  • Homeowners
  • Agencies & Builders
  • Faith Groups
  • Public Servants
  • City/Town Allowances
  • Your Stories
  • Solutions!
  • References
  • Contact
Hello

Discover your community's by-laws and housing needs!

The outline below provide insight to every area in Ontario. Please contact us if you require further information or support!

Contact us

Hamilton

Region of Waterloo

Halton Region

 The City of Hamilton has a housing wait list of over 7,000 applicants. One third are seniors, one third are families and the balance are individuals & couples of all ages. 

After extensive public consultation, by-laws in Greater Hamilton including Dundas, Ancaster, Stoney Creek, Glanbrook and Flamborough have been updated! They can be found at: https://www.hamilton.ca/city-planning/official-plan-zoning-by-law/residential-zones-project 

The general call in number for the building department is 905-546-2489 Ext. 2720

Hamilton Zoning/Planning Department: 

pd.generalinquiry@hamilton.ca 

Hamilton Building Permit Department:

building@hamilton.ca

It is noteworthy that parts of downtown Hamilton no longer require an additional parking spot for the secondary suite. Detached homes, laneway houses and other possibilities are now available in many neighbourhoods!

Stay tuned for future developments!

Hamilton Housing Help Centre

Halton Region

Region of Waterloo

Halton Region

Halton Region has a housing wait list of 3,500 applicants. By-laws are in place in Burlington, Milton, Oakville and Halton Hills allowing secondary suites in detached homes and also in semi-dfetached and townhouses in some areas if certain conditions are met.

Halton Region offers incentives for homeowners creating legal secondary suites to house families and individuals on the wait list. Contact Egality or the Halton Housing Help Centre (311) for details

Burlington Zoning Department:

planning@burlington.ca

Burlington Building Department:

 building@burlington.ca 

Oakville Building Department:

 buildingrequests@oakville.ca 

Milton Building Department:

https://www.milton.ca/en/business-and-development/finished-basements.aspx

Halton Hills:

https://www.haltonhills.ca/en/residents/building-permit-information.aspx#Registration-of-two-unit-houses



halton housing help centre

Region of Waterloo

Region of Waterloo

Region of Waterloo

Waterloo Region has a housing wait list of 2,680 applicants. The Region offers homeowners a forgivable loan of $25,000 to build a legal secondary suite on their property when it is rented to a tenant who is under the low income threshold. Details of this program are found at:

https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/living-here/resources/Housing-Services/DOCS_ADMIN-2295429-v6-Ontario_Renovates_Secondary_Suite_Fact_Sheet-AODA.pdf

Kitchener:

 Phone: 519-741-2433 

Email: building@kitchener.ca  


Waterloo:

 519-747-8712 or email building@waterloo.ca 


Cambridge:

 (519) 623-1340 

 building@cambridge.ca 


Waterloo Region Housing programs

Grey-Bruce Counties

Grey-Bruce Counties

Region of Waterloo

Bruce County is studying various aspects of housing including older adults' options as they look to downsize affordably. There are ten municipalities within Bruce County including two First Nations Reserves. Saugeen Shores is actively exploring secondary unit options for their residents.

 Bruce County Housing: 519-396-3450 

Municipalities include:

Saugeen Shores

Kincardine

Brockton

South Bruce Peninsula

Arran-Elderslie

Huron Kinloss

South Bruce

Northern Bruce Peninsula

Nawash First Nations

Saugeen First Nations


Grey County has secondary suites amongst its strategies to increase affordable housing stock in their 5 year update.

Housing Department: 519-376-5744

There are nine municipalities within Grey County. Contact your local municipality to explore the secondary suite allowances in your community.

Owen Sound

Grey Highlands

Meaford

West Grey

Hanover

The Blue Mountains

Chatsworth

Georgian Bluffs

Southgate


Wellington County

Grey-Bruce Counties

Wellington County

Wellington County has over 2,500 applicants for housing. Their housing services division can be reached at:  519-824-7822 

There are two towns and five townships in the County

Guelph/Eramosa has taken the lead on many by-law initiatives to encourage the creation of legal accessory apartments as well as the conversion of illegal ones. 

The city's guidelines can be found here.

 Guelph: 

Building Services: 519-837-5615 building@guelph.ca  

Links to other municipalities are:

Erin

Minto

Centre Wellington

Mapleton

Puslinch

Wellington North


Brant County

Grey-Bruce Counties

Wellington County

The County of Brant has created a very informative package on creating an 'Additional Residential Unit'. 

 zoning@brant.ca 

building@brant.ca 

519-44BRANT

The City of Brantford currently has over 1,700 households applying for affordable housing.  Mayor Kevin Davis convened the Mayor’s Housing Partnerships Task together with County of Brant Mayor David Bailey. We will keep you updated!

Building Department: 519-759-4150

Housing Services: 519-759-3330

Toronto

The Region of Peel

The Region of Peel

With over 76,000 household applications for affordable housing, Toronto carries close to half of Ontario's demand. While COVID-19 has exposed many additional needs, the lack of housing stock in the city is very real. A 2019 report revealed that 246,639 purpose built rental units were built in the city up until 1979. Since 1980 only 18,243 have been created. Today there is a 7 year wait time for a bachelor unit, 12 year wait time for a one bedroom and 10 year wait time for larger units.

In May 2019 by-laws were passed which updated the allowances around secondary suites. Highlights included no additional parking requirements; townhouse options; the possibility of 2 secondary units in 1 property; and laneway housing. 

You can determine what you are allowed to do on your property by calling the Zoning department at: 416-397-5330 or online at:

toronto.ca/zoning

The city has also produced a helpful Homeowner's Guide to Building Permits


Community housing help centres can be reached at:  416-285-8070 

A map of their locations is here.

Their website is here.


The Region of Peel

The Region of Peel

The Region of Peel

Peel Region has just announced financial incentives up to $30,000 for homeowners who are willing to convert illegal secondary suites into legal ones! Click to get the details of the plan.

There are 14,997 households applying for affordable housing in Peel. Current wait times are 5-12 years. Like all urban areas, innovative housing ideas are very much needed.

Mississauga:

To explore your secondary suite options in Mississauga please visit their website:

https://www.mississauga.ca/services-and-programs/home-and-yard/second-units/

Mississauga ensures all legal units are registered. You can see the list of 100's of registered units here.


Brampton:

Brampton has prepared a guide for homeowners. Their application package is one of the best in Ontario for details and guidance.

Brampton also has a registration for legal units at a modest one-time fee.


The Region of Peel Housing Outreach line is:  1-877-848-8481 

Their website is here.


York Region

York Region

York Region

York Region's detailed Housing Solutions Plan does not appear to have secondary suites on their radar but they are allowed in these municipalities:


Aurora

East Gwillimbury

King (no info found)

Markham

Newmarket

Richmond Hill

Vaughan

Whitchurch-Stouffville


Click on the township you are located in to go directly to their website providing information on creating a legal secondary suite.


York Region's Housing Access Centre can be reached at: 1-877-464-9675

Their website is here.

London

York Region

York Region

London's by-laws have recently expanded to allow "additional residential units" (ARU's) in more types of housing and, in some cases, TWO suites can be added to one property!

All ARU's must be licensed.

For more information call 519-930-3510 or e-mail: building@london.ca.


London is also offering loans for homeowners building a secondary suite on their property to provide housing for an individual or family through the Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan.

To see if your project qualifies, please contact Planning Staff for pre-consultation before any works starts.

 planning@london.ca 

519-661-CITY (2489)


If you have a property and would like to explore how it could be used to serve those in need, please e-mail:

homelessprevention@london.ca


If you have a larger affordable housing development in mind, please contact the London Community Foundation to explore their affordable housing funding application.

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