Affordable Housing
Looking for affordable housing? York Region can help. Visit York.ca/Housing to find out more about their wait list for subsidized rental housing units.
Housing affordability is a growing concern across Canada, particularly in urban centers such as the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. In Richmond Hill, more than half of renters and one-third of homeowners were spending over 30% of their income on housing in 2021 (Census). This reflects an increasing gap between housing costs and household incomes, making it difficult for many residents to find a stable and suitable place to live. The lack of affordable options has led to growing demand for all levels of government to step in with new policies and investments in affordable housing. Richmond Hill is working on ways to offer more housing choices and make homes more affordable for everyone.
The City's Role in Affordable Housing
Richmond Hill plays an important role in supporting affordable housing through local policies and programs, however the City doesn’t build or run housing itself. The Region of York is the provincially designated Housing Service Manager for the City. This means that York Region is responsible for planning, funding and managing social housing programs and homelessness services. Information on subsidized housing, emergency and transitional housing and other related information is available through York Region’s Housing Website.
| Affordable Housing Strategy |
| In 2021, Richmond Hill Council approved an Affordable Housing Strategy (AHS). The AHS guides the City’s work to enable, support and facilitate affordable housing in the private housing market within the community. Please see Richmond Hill’s Affordable Housing Strategy webpage for more information. |
What is "Affordable Housing" in Richmond Hill?
Generally, housing that is affordable means a home that costs no more than 30% of a household’s gross income. This includes rent or mortgage payments plus utilities. If someone spends more than that, it can be hard to afford other essentials like food, transportation, and healthcare.
Richmond Hill, the Region of York and the Province of Ontario all determine affordable housing thresholds based on low- and moderate-income households within a geographic area. Low- and moderate-income households are those with incomes in the lowest 60th percent of the income distribution for the City. Richmond Hill’s Official Plan includes affordable housing definitions set by the Province of Ontario.
| Affordable Ownership |
| In 2025-2026, based on the Provincial definition, Affordable Ownership housing in Richmond Hill is defined as a home for which the purchase price results in annual accommodation costs which do not exceed 30% of gross annual household income for low- and moderate-income households. The 2025-2026 affordable ownership threshold is $462,000. |
| Affordable Rental |
In 2025-2026, based on the Provincial definition, Affordable rental housing in Richmond Hill are rents that are set at or below the average market rent by unit type, as determined by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) through the Annual Market Rent Survey. The 2025 – 2026 affordable rental thresholds by unit type are as follows:
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Please note that thresholds may vary according to funding or incentive programs. For more information about Richmond Hill’s Affordable Housing Definitions and Thresholds, including affordable housing thresholds for planning applications and potential funding opportunities, please contact the Affordable Housing Concierge.
Affordable Housing Actions Currently Underway
In alignment with the City’s 2024-2027 Strategic Plan, the Affordable Housing Strategy, the Official Plan and the approved amendments to the ongoing Official Plan Update, the City of Richmond Hill is working to remove barriers to enable more housing. The City continues to support the development of communities with a full range of housing options to meet the needs of residents of all ages, abilities and income levels.
| Affordable Housing Concierge Pilot Program |
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The City is committed to supporting individuals and organizations working to create affordable housing. The Affordable Housing Concierge Pilot Program makes it easier to understand City processes and navigate the broader affordable housing landscape. Richmond Hill’s Affordable Housing Concierge offers information and services to help deliver affordable housing in Richmond Hill. See our Affordable Housing Concierge webpage for more information. |
| Community Improvement Plan (CIP) for Affordable Housing and Sustainable Design |
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In November 2024, Richmond Hill Council approved the Community Improvement Plan (CIP) for Affordable Housing and Sustainable Design incentive program. The CIP establishes the City’s first financial incentives program for sustainably designed affordable rental housing units. Richmond Hill was awarded funding by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) through the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) grant, which enabled the City to open a 2025 CIP Funding Application intake window. Please visit the CIP webpage for more detailed information. |
| City-Owned Lands for Affordable Housing Initiative |
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Richmond Hill is working to find new ways to support affordable housing in the community. The City recently reviewed its own properties to see if any were suitable for future affordable housing projects. This initiative included looking at vacant land and underutilized sites that may be redeveloped as well as the policy and regulatory framework to facilitate the process. Most of Richmond Hill is already developed, so we know we need to be creative in how we use City-owned lands. Although Richmond Hill’s current inventory of lands did not meet the criteria for affordable housing, the City was able to identify an opportunity to generate funding through the sale of a City-owned property. The proceeds from this sale will support a future intake of the City’s CIP for Affordable Housing and Sustainable Design. The funds generated will help support more sustainably designed affordable rental housing projects. Richmond Hill is also working closely with York Region to explore how publicly owned land can be used to create more affordable housing options. |
| Inclusionary Zoning |
| Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) is a tool authorized under the Planning Act which enables municipalities to require the provision of affordable housing as part of residential development located in Protected Major Transit Station Areas or in areas established with a Community Planning Permit System.
The City completed an Inclusionary Zoning Impact Assessment in 2021. Given the drastically changing market conditions since that time, combined with evolving legislation related to IZ, the Impact Assessment was updated in 2024 in support of establishing IZ policies required for implementation of an Inclusionary Zoning By-law. The findings of the 2024 IZ Assessment Impact Update determined IZ is not viable at current market conditions and recommended implementation only when the market improves. Before the City can proceed with finalizing IZ policies and an implementing by-law, when the time comes, a third-party peer review of the updated impact assessment is required. |
Other Housing Resources
- Development Planning Application Affordable Housing Template: This document helps developers identify the number of affordable units in their proposals in order to meet the affordable housing targets outlined in the City’s Official Plan.
- Handbook for Developing Affordable Housing: This handbook provides affordable housing-related resources for the nonprofit and residential development communities in Richmond Hill.
- Richmond Hill’s Housing Accelerator Fund Action Plan: Announced in November 2023, the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) is a $31 million investment from the Federal government that the City of Richmond Hill is receiving to help create more housing faster in our city. The City’s HAF Action Plan initiatives are underway, as Richmond Hill takes steps to help remove barriers and speed up the process for owners and builders to create more homes. See the HAF webpage for more information.
- Additional Residential Unit (ARU): An ARU is a self-contained unit with a private kitchen, bathroom facilities and sleeping areas in a main residential building (such as a single detached house, semi-detached house or townhouse) and/or a separate building (such as above a detached garage) on the same property. Up to three additional residential units (ARUs) in addition to a single primary dwelling are permitted in the City of Richmond Hill, subject to zoning requirements and restrictions, including a building permit. See the ARU webpage for more information.
- Comprehensive Zoning By-Law: Richmond Hill Council recently adopted the City’s Comprehensive Zoning By-Law (CZBL) to implement Official Plan policies. This by-law establishes as-of-right zoning that is user-friendly and reflective of current and emerging development practices and trends. See the ZoneRH webpage for more information.
- Official Plan Update: The City of Richmond Hill is updating its Official Plan (OP) to guide the growth of businesses, jobs and residents for the next 25 years, while aligning with provincial policies. Amendments to the City’s Official Plan outline policies to build complete communities, encouraging a diverse housing mix including affordable housing, supporting growth and development in urban centres and corridors, and allowing for gentle density within traditionally low density areas. See the Official Plan Update webpage for more information.