Introduction to Burlington's Housing Strategy
Burlington’s Housing Strategy is more than just a city document; it’s a commitment to the community’s future. Approved by the council in June 2022, this strategy acts as a detailed roadmap. It lays out how the city intends to address the housing requirements of its current and future residents. Think of it as a well-thought-out plan that guides decision-making, ensuring the city meets its housing targets. It's a critical move, especially when you consider that the price of housing continues to climb, and more people seek an affordable place to live. This is not just about constructing new buildings; it’s also about fostering inclusive communities that offer a variety of housing choices.
The strategy aims to move Burlington closer to its vision for housing, ensuring there are homes for all residents, regardless of their life stage or income level. Housing is not a luxury; it is a fundamental need, and the city recognizes its role in helping to provide appropriate options for everyone. The plan contains recommendations that provide a framework to guide the city and decision-makers in how they approach housing. By working with this strategy, Burlington can more effectively address issues such as housing affordability and availability, making sure the city remains a place where everyone can find a suitable home. The strategy is the foundation upon which future housing decisions will be made, and it emphasizes the need for a practical, thoughtful, and community-focused approach to housing growth.
Council's Direction and Housing Goals
Burlington's approach to increasing housing options gains considerable momentum from Council Motion ADM-17-23. This motion is more than a simple policy; it’s a clear directive that propels the city towards more diverse housing. This motion specifically instructs the city to engage with the community to implement four units as-of-right, alongside other actions laid out in the Housing Strategy. This is a significant move, because it shifts away from traditional restrictions and towards permitting more units on residential lots, which is a key factor in addressing affordability.
This motion is not just about adding more units, but also about thoughtful growth that respects existing communities. The Housing Strategy’s broader goals include meeting the housing needs of all residents, no matter their stage of life or income. By adopting the as-of-right approach and other measures recommended by the Housing Strategy, the city is striving to increase the variety of housing types available. The objective is to ensure that everyone, including families, seniors, and individuals, can find housing within the city that suits their needs. The overall aim is to create inclusive and accessible communities. This means ensuring everyone has a favourable chance to live in a suitable home in Burlington.
Key Amendments to the Official Plan
The proposed amendments to Burlington’s Official Plan mark a significant shift in how the city approaches housing development. Instead of relying heavily on density, the focus will now be on built form and context. This means that when considering new housing, the city will prioritize how it looks, how it fits within the existing neighbourhood, and how it contributes to the overall community character. It's a move away from simply counting units to evaluating the actual impact of new buildings on the surrounding environment.
This shift also involves amending policies to remove density as a primary concern. The objective is to allow for more diverse housing options without requiring strict adherence to traditional density restrictions. The amendments will also apply city-wide to the Residential Neighbourhood Area and similar policies, ensuring consistent implementation. It aims to foster a more nuanced approach to development. This approach will allow for different types of housing to be integrated into existing neighbourhoods, which, in turn, can make housing more accessible to more people. The city aims to focus on creating liveable spaces that enhance the quality of life, rather than just adding more units.
Increasing Additional Residential Units (ARUs)
One of the most impactful changes in Burlington’s housing strategy is the proposed increase in permitted Additional Residential Units (ARUs). The city currently allows two ARUs on a residential lot. This new plan increases that number to three ARUs, in addition to the main dwelling unit. This change applies across the city to any land use designation that allows residential buildings. This is not just a minor adjustment; it’s a significant move toward increasing housing options within existing neighbourhoods.
● The increase of ARUs aims to unlock the potential of existing properties. Homeowners now have more flexibility to add rental units on their land, which can help to generate income or provide housing for family members.
● This change will provide more opportunities for different types of housing to become available.
● This new approach is different from traditional building approaches; it can create more housing supply while respecting existing neighbourhood character. This is an alternative approach to building large developments, and can support different types of households in the community.
● The city aims to make sure there are options for all residents, regardless of their needs and income level. By increasing the allowable ARUs, Burlington aims to provide more homes and make the city a more accessible place to live.
Zoning By-Law Updates
To fully support the changes proposed in the Official Plan, Burlington is also making necessary updates to its Zoning By-law. These updates are more than just routine adjustments; they are essential to ensure that the zoning regulations align with the new housing goals. Specifically, the city must comply with recent changes to Ontario Regulation 299/19. This means that the Zoning By-law must be revised to accommodate the new policies and ensure they are enforceable.
● The updates to the Zoning By-law are critical to supporting the Official Plan amendments. It is not enough to simply change the Official Plan, because the zoning laws must reflect these changes. The updates ensure that the zoning laws allow for the proposed increase in ARUs and the shift in focus to built form and context.
● These changes will help to streamline the development process and reduce any potential roadblocks for property owners and developers. It is important to have clear and consistent regulations in place to create more diverse housing options in Burlington. The updated Zoning By-law will help to create a more predictable development environment, which is a favorable outcome for the community.
Focus on Gentle Intensification
The proposed amendments to Burlington’s Official Plan and Zoning By-law aim to support gentle intensification in the city's Residential Neighbourhood Areas. This approach is about carefully integrating new housing into existing neighbourhoods while respecting their character. It moves away from the idea of large-scale developments and focuses on adding smaller-scale housing options that can fit well into established communities. The goal is to increase housing diversity without causing significant disruption or changes to the look and feel of neighbourhoods.
● Gentle intensification allows the city to increase the number of housing options available to residents. This includes adding more diverse housing options such as additional residential units (ARUs), duplexes, and townhouses, which can help to accommodate a variety of lifestyles and income levels.
● This approach supports the creation of walkable communities with local services and public transportation options. It also encourages a sense of community within existing neighbourhoods.
● The emphasis on built form and context means new developments will be evaluated based on how well they integrate into the existing neighbourhood.
● The goal is to ensure that new housing enhances rather than detracts from neighbourhood character, creating a more inclusive and balanced community.
Community Improvement Plan (CIP)
Burlington’s Community Improvement Plan (CIP) is a key tool for helping the city meet its housing goals. The CIP is not just a plan; it's a set of strategies designed to encourage the creation of new housing. It will offer financial and non-financial incentives to property owners and developers to build more rental and affordable housing options. The CIP is designed to make housing development more feasible and attractive by reducing some of the financial hurdles.
● The CIP allows the city to provide grants, tax breaks, and loans to help cover the costs of building new affordable housing units. This approach will help to make projects more financially viable and encourage property owners and developers to create more housing.
● The CIP will support the creation of different types of housing, such as Additional Residential Units (ARUs), duplexes, and low-rise apartments.
● This plan will help meet the city’s housing needs by incentivizing the development of more rental units, which are often in short supply.
● By providing targeted incentives, the CIP aims to increase the supply of diverse and affordable housing options in the city. The program is funded through the Federal Government of Canada’s Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF).
Missing Middle Housing
Burlington's housing strategy emphasizes the importance of "missing middle" housing, which refers to multi-unit housing types that fill the gap between single-family homes and large apartment buildings. These options include garden suites, garage or basement apartments, duplexes, fourplexes, courtyard housing, and low-rise apartments that are four stories or less. These types of buildings are typically similar in size to detached homes, allowing them to integrate into residential neighbourhoods more easily.
● The focus on missing middle housing is about providing more diverse housing choices. These types of housing options can accommodate various household sizes and income levels.
● This approach aims to create walkable communities with local services and public transportation options. By adding more housing options within existing neighbourhoods, the plan is to help to create more complete communities.
● The plan supports the creation of housing options that fit into existing neighbourhoods. This approach aims to increase housing options without drastically changing neighbourhood character.
● The goal is to increase housing options and create communities that are walkable, with local services and public transportation. The approach will provide more housing choices and improve community connections for residents in Burlington.
Public Engagement and Feedback
The City of Burlington is committed to ensuring that its residents have opportunities to participate in the planning process. Public engagement is a vital part of creating a plan that reflects the community's needs and preferences. The city has scheduled a variety of public meetings and feedback submission periods to collect input. The goal is to incorporate public feedback into the final plan to ensure it meets the needs of the people of Burlington.
● The city is holding both in-person and virtual public open houses to provide opportunities for residents to learn about the proposed amendments and provide their input.
● The city has also provided multiple ways for residents to send in their comments including by email, mail, or through online forms.
● The feedback collected from these various sources will be used to refine the draft Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments.
● The city will use the public feedback to make sure the final plans take into account community needs. This iterative process is essential to creating a plan that reflects community values and concerns.
Upcoming Statutory Public Meeting
The City of Burlington has scheduled a Statutory Public Meeting on January 14, 2025, to discuss the proposed Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments. This meeting will provide another opportunity for the public to participate in the planning process and offer their feedback. The city will use this meeting to gather further community input before finalizing the amendments.
● The meeting will be held both online and in person at Burlington City Hall, offering flexibility for those who wish to participate.
● To speak at the meeting, you can register in advance by filling out the delegation registration form at burlington.ca/delegate, by emailing Legislative Services at clerks@burlington.ca, or by calling 905-335-7777, ext. 7481 by noon, Friday, January 10, 2025.
● The recommended Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment documents will be available for review by Friday, December 20, 2024, at getinvolvedburlington.ca/housingstrategy. The staff recommendation report will also be available on this date at burlington.ca/calendar.
● The city encourages all interested residents to attend this meeting and help the city create a favourable housing strategy for everyone.
