Mississauga marks National Housing Day with new housing incentives and initiatives

The housing crisis is a major issue in Mississauga and the Greater Toronto Area. To help tackle this, the City is committed to finding innovative solutions that make it easier for homeowners to build, while also improving access to safe and affordable housing for all. That’s why, in recognition of National Housing Day, the City is announcing new incentives for homeowners to help lower costs and increase housing supply. These initiatives are a part of the City’s broader strategy to encourage gentle density, which includes supporting sustainable housing growth within existing neighbourhoods. This approach not only helps address housing affordability, but also has the potential to revitalize communities while creating lively, inclusive spaces for future generations.

New financial incentives for homeowners to boost housing supply

The City is offering new financial incentives to encourage and help homeowners build more units on their properties. These incentives will cover some application fees, depending on the type of unit being built:

Additional residential units (ARUs)

Homeowners building or legalizing ARUs, such as basement apartments, garage conversions, garden suites or second-floor additions can have their building permit fees waived. Legalizing an ARU includes, but is not limited to, ensuring the unit meets the applicable zoning requirements, complies with Ontario’s Building Code, and passes inspections to become a legal, safe living space. New build fourplexes are also eligible.

Fourplexes

To make building a fourplex more affordable, the City is waiving the development charges and parkland fees that are currently required for the fourth unit, aligning with the existing exemptions already in place for the first three units. Additionally, grants will be available to cover building permit fees.

The goal of these incentives is lower upfront costs for homeowners, making it easier to add new units to existing properties. It also creates more housing options in Mississauga’s neighborhoods, which will help meet the growing demand for homes in a thoughtful and sustainable way. Learn more about adding more units to your property.

City takes the lead by sharing garden suite plans with all municipalities

Garden suites are a great way to gently add density to Mississauga neighbourhoods. Earlier this year, the City made it easier to build garden suites by offering free, pre-approved plans. These plans offer a streamlined, ready-to-go solution for residents. Garden suites can be built in backyards, making them ideal for homeowners who want to add an additional space for their growing families, or to use as a rental unit.

Today, the City is expanding this initiative by making its garden suite plans available to all municipalities across Ontario. Planning and building departments in other communities can now offer the City’s ready-made designs to interested residents, helping to streamline processes and accelerate home-building across the province. This initiative reinforces the City’s leadership and commitment to addressing the housing crisis across Ontario, helping residents and municipal staff to save time and costs, so homeowners can work directly with licensed builders sooner.

Housing growth through gentle density

In the past year, the City has made significant progress in introducing new strategies for homeowners to build, which has helped to increase housing options while gently boosting density in Mississauga’s neighborhoods.

To date in 2024, four fourplexes have applied for building permits, and we have issued permits for more than 715 ARUs, including seven garden suites. This progress reflects our commitment to creating diverse housing options, which is an important step in ensuring that future generations can live in Mississauga for years to come.

For more information on Mississauga’s housing plan, visit Growing Mississauga: An Action Plan for New Housing. This plan provides details on how the City is working to increase housing supply, while also simplifying approvals and enhancing housing affordability.

Background

1. The City’s Increasing Housing Choices in Neighbourhoods study began in April 2021 to find ways to bring more housing choices to neighbourhoods through gentle density, which is part of the City’s plan to increase “missing middle” housing in low-rise communities.
2. In late 2023, the City updated its Official Plan and zoning rules to make it easier for homeowners to build up to two additional residential units (ARUs) in addition to the primary home or a new fourplex on a lot (or convert their current home to four separate units)
3. In June 2024, the City made it easier to build a garden suite by offering free, pre-approved plans for Mississauga homeowners.
4. In July 2024, City Council approved a Community Improvement Plan (CIP) with $44 million in funding to support affordable rental housing, including grants for homeowners and developers building additional units.

Quotes

“National Housing Day serves as a reminder of the incredible importance of providing safe and affordable housing for all. Housing plays a critical role in building strong, healthy and connected communities. That’s why we’re putting on a full court press to produce innovative solutions. Earlier this year, we launched a Housing Task Force with 30 of the top developers within the GTA to tackle the housing crisis with sustainable solutions. Today’s announcement is another example of how we’re making affordable, safe housing a reality in our City. By streamlining processes and making it easier to increase density, we’re creating a city where everyone can build their future.” – Mayor Carolyn Parrish

“We’re always looking for ways to make it easier to build more housing in Mississauga and make it more affordable, so that future generations have a place to call their own in our city. I encourage all homeowners who want to build another unit to take advantage of our new incentives, and I look forward to municipalities adopting our garden suite plans so we can boost housing development across the GTA.” – Andrew Whittemore, Commissioner, Planning and Building

Tags

• Housing
• Planning and Building