Housing Accelerator Fund
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.
Ontario is experiencing a housing crisis, and the City is taking bold actions to address this issue in our community. The Fund will further help Richmond Hill to remove barriers and speed up the process of building more housing and creating much-needed affordable residential units by advancing infrastructure to increase residential development.
Richmond Hill is taking steps to help remove barriers and speed up the process for owners and builders to create more homes.
Read the Staff Report for detailed updates on the City's first Housing Accelerator Fund Annual Report submitted in 2024. The City’s second annual report with 2025 progress will be shared in early 2026.
The City of Richmond Hill HAF Action Plan
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Official Plan Amendments and Implementing Zoning By-laws for Three Centres |
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This initiative aims to expedite planning changes, including Official Plan Amendments and Zoning By-law Amendments in three strategic key growth areas in the city. These amendments will help create a more sustainable and diverse housing mix while supporting the city's broader growth strategy.
Learn more about the City's Comprehensive Zoning By-law. |
| Community Improvement Plan (CIP) for Affordable Housing and Sustainable Design |
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Richmond Hill’s Community Improvement Plan (CIP) provides for financial incentives to promote affordable housing and sustainable development. This initiative to establishes effective programs that enhance the affordability and sustainability of new housing projects.
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Infrastructure Acceleration Incentive Program |
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A new incentive program will provide financial support to offset infrastructure costs to encourage developers to build essential services like water, sanitary and stormwater infrastructure on an accelerated timeline. By linking incentives to timely building permit applications, it aims to reduce infrastructure barriers that often delay housing supply.
For more information and details regarding program eligibility and the application process, please review the policy or email the Development Engineering Team. |
| Development Approval Process Improvements |
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To enhance transparency and efficiency, Richmond Hill has streamlined the City’s development approval process. Recommendations from a comprehensive review have guided these improvements to help simplify procedures, reduce approval times and improve predictability. |
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Richmond Hill Centre Secondary Plan |
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Through pre-zoning and streamlined approvals, this initiative will unlock high-density residential development near Richmond Hill Centre, a future transit-oriented hub. Pre-zoning efforts will define land use permissions, height and density limits, and public amenity requirements.
Learn more about the Richmond Hill Centre Secondary Plan and Comprehensive Zoning By-law. |
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Neighbourhood Zoning By-law |
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To address the missing middle-housing gap, the neighbourhood zoning by-law will introduce as-of-right zoning that allows a range of needed middle-housing forms in residential neighbourhoods. Parking requirements near transit will be considered, and development standards will be revised to encourage innovative housing solutions.
Learn more about the City's Comprehensive Zoning By-law. |
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Concierge Program for Affordable Housing |
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Launched in November 2025, the Affordable Housing Concierge Pilot Program provides a centralized point of contact for nonprofits and developers interested in delivering affordable housing in Richmond Hill. Through this program, the City has established a dedicated website and email, with staff available to respond to inquiries and offer guidance on affordable housing incentive programs and development requirements. Eligible affordable housing projects can also access enhanced support through the Affordable Housing Concierge Service, including prioritized processing of development applications and assistance with intergovernmental coordination. |
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Surplus and Underused Lands for Affordable Housing Program |
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By identifying surplus and underutilized City-owned lands that may be suitable for housing, this initiative investigates opportunities for affordable housing development. Through this program, staff have identified innovative approaches to using surplus City-owned lands to enable affordable housing. To best leverage publicly owned surplus lands to support the creation of more affordable rental units, Richmond Hill Council approved for the revenue from the sale of a surplus parcel of land (not suitable for affordable housing development) to fund a future intake of the City’s Community Improvement Plan for Affordable Housing and Sustainable Design. The City is continuing work to develop a program that will guide future opportunities to partner with non-profit housing providers to maximize the use of City-owned land. |
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Increasing Housing Density Near Major Transit Stations and in Neighbourhoods |
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This initiative will increase housing supply by allowing four-storey buildings near major transit stations and permitting up to four units per residential lot. These changes will unlock more housing opportunities near transit and support higher-density development.
Learn more details about this initiative here. |
Please Note: The implementation of the initiatives outlined in the City’s HAF Action Plan is subject to adherence to all statutory processes and procedures, including the requirement for public notification and input processes during the consideration and adoption of relevant by-laws and policies, as well as any appeal processes stipulated by provincial legislations and the Planning Act.
Learn more about how Richmond Hill is working to help solve the housing crisis.
- Affordable Housing
- Affordable Housing Strategy
- Zone Richmond Hill
- About Bill 23, The More Homes Built Faster Act - City of Richmond Hill