HOUSING INITIATIVES
Below are summaries of Kitchener's Housing Initiatives
Growing Together
Inclusionary Zoning
Enabling 4 Units
Adding Up To 2 Additional Units For A Total Of 3
Building Kitchener Together
Not For Profit Affordable & Co-op Housing Incentive Pilot
Growing Together
Inclusionary Zoning
Enabling 4 Units
Adding Up To 2 Additional Units For A Total Of 3
Building Kitchener Together
Not For Profit Affordable & Co-op Housing Incentive Pilot
Growing Together
KITCHENER'S PLANNING FRAMEWORK AROUND MAJOR TRANSIT STATION AREAS
On Monday March 18, 2024 Council Unanimously Passed Growing Together & The Inclusionary Zoning Bylaw. You can read the news release HERE. Our Growing Together Plan will make more than 100,000 new homes in all shapes and sizes possible including as many as 4,500 affordable units through Inclusionary Zoning, and 20,000 or more new "Missing Middle" style homes. Missing Middle housing is housing that's between a single family home and mid to high rise apartments like units in duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes, bungalow courts, townhouses and courtyard apartments. It also allows for small and home businesses in residential areas.
Growing Together was created through thousands of hours of work from our Planning Team that included award winning in person and online engagement with residents, the community & the development industry, It will bring more housing and housing options.
Growing Together was created through thousands of hours of work from our Planning Team that included award winning in person and online engagement with residents, the community & the development industry, It will bring more housing and housing options.
Inclusionary Zoning To Support Affordable Housing
BRINGING AFFORDABLE UNITS TO NEW BUILDS IN OUR MAJOR TRANSIT STATION AREAS
At the same March 18, 2024 Council Meeting, Council also unanimously passed the Inclusionary Zoning Bylaw. This Bylaw will see Developers provide a percentage of affordable units in new multi-unit buildings. This is a small but important tool in creating affordable housing..
Enabling 4 Units
On March 25, 2024 Council approved the Enabling 4 Units Bylaw. This would increase housing units by allowing up to 4 housing units on property where zoning permits single detached, semi-detached or street townhouse dwelling units on sufficient lot sizes. 4 units won't be possible on every residential lot in Kitchener. There would be around 41,450 or 68% of lots that it applies to. There are rules a regulations that must be met.
See the Enabling 4 Units Report HERE
Adding Up to 2 Additional Units For A Total Of 3 Units
In April of 2021 Council approved the ability to add up to 2 additional housing units on a residential property for a total of 3 units. These units could be a detached accessory Unit also known as a Tiny Home, and or by duplexing the main building to add a secondary suite, basement apartment or in-law suite.
You can see the regulations for adding additional units HERE
Building Kitchener Together
Working together with the Federal and Provincial Governments, we're delivering on achieving our mutual housing goals. With their much appreciated funding adding to ours, we have a group of initiatives to increase our housing supply of deeply affordable, moderately affordable, supportive, missing middle and market rate housing.
Learn about Building Kitchener Together HERE
Not For Profit Affordable & Co-op Housing Incentive Pilot
At The Community and Infrastructure Services Committee Meeting of April 22, Council approved this pilot program that will allocate funds to incentivize the building of not for profit and affordable housing units. It will provide $10,000 per unit for up to 520 Units. This upfront funding will help some not-for-profit affordable housing projects and help advance projects to a state that positions them for other critical capital funding.
Read the Staff Report HERE
Kitchener's Development and Construction Department can be found HERE