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.
The City’s HAF Action Plan initiatives are already underway as Richmond Hill takes steps to help remove barriers and speed up the process for owners and builders to create more homes.
The City of Richmond Hill HAF Action Plan
Official Plan Amendments and Implementing Zoning By-laws for Three Centres |
Accelerating planning changes to enable residential development in three key strategic growth areas.
|
Community Improvement Plan (CIP) for Affordable Housing and Sustainable Design |
Encouraging affordable housing developments and improving environmental sustainability through incentives.
Visit Richmond Hill's project page about the Community Improvement Plan (CIP) - Affordable Housing and Sustainable Design |
Infrastructure Acceleration Incentive Program |
Addressing infrastructure barriers and accelerating timelines to increase housing supply.
|
Development Approval Process Improvements |
Reducing approval times by simplifying the development approvals process.
|
Richmond Hill Centre Secondary Plan |
Pre-zoning and accelerating approvals to increase high-density residential developments near two future subway stations.
|
Neighbourhood Zoning By-law |
Introducing as-of-right zoning permissions to promote infill development and missing middle housing options in low-density neighbourhoods.
|
Concierge Program for Affordable Housing |
Creating a single point-of-contact for affordable housing projects to streamline and expedite approvals.
|
Surplus and Underused Lands for Affordable Housing Program |
Implementing a new program to repurpose City-owned land for affordable housing.
|
Increasing Housing Density Near Major Transit Stations and in Neighbourhoods |
Updating density and height planning rules near transit Permitting four-storey buildings in major transit station areas to increase housing supply significantly.
|
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.