Real Estate
Housing Opportunities on Municipal Land
Contact Us
Leah MacNamara, Manager
Strategy and Portfolio Management
[email protected]
Call 289-253-4635
Housing Secretariat
Learn how the Housing Secretariat embraces a “Whole of Hamilton” approach to identify and facilitate housing solutions that result in safe, affordable, rental and ownership housing for lower-income residents.
The City of Hamilton is completing a full assessment of city-owned properties to identify potential opportunities for affordable housing development either through use of available land or intensification of existing uses.
This initiative supports Council Priority 2: Safe & Thriving Neighbourhoods - Outcome 1: Increase the supply of affordable and supportive housing and reduce chronic homelessness. By completing some pre-development work and transacting surplus municipal land at below market or nominal rates, the City can contribute in-kind funding, which supports non-profit affordable housing providers to have financially viable projects.
This initiative is supported by several Council-endorsed strategic documents, including:
- Urban Hamilton Official Plan
- Economic Development Action Plan - action #67
- Housing Sustainability & Investment Roadmap
The work being completed to prepare municipal properties for housing development commenced back in 2017 with Report PED17219, where 19 properties were declared surplus for affordable housing and laid a foundation to support the City’s obligations to the Housing Accelerator Fund, specifically Initiative 4: Land and Property Disposition Program for Housing of the City of Hamilton’s Housing Action Plan. This initiative also supports the City’s intensification and efficient use of land and infrastructure policies set out in the Urban Hamilton Official Plan.
Action 7 of Housing Sustainability & Investment Roadmap’s Year 1 Priorities directed staff to complete a full assessment of City-owned municipal properties to identify the suitability of potential municipal properties for affordable housing development. Report PED 23099(a)/HSC23028(a) was the initial report responding to Action 7 and gave staff direction to prepare the disposition of 6 municipal properties.
As part of the ongoing review of the municipal land portfolio, an additional 4 municipal properties were identified through the approval of Report PED25085. Site preparing means that City staff are completing necessary steps of the planning and development process to attract affordable housing providers.
Overview of the strategy:
- Sell at market and contribute funds to affordable housing initiatives
- Transfer (lease/sale) at nominal to support housing projects
- De-risk and transfer at market/nominal to support housing initiatives
Phase 1 - Site Selection Process
- Stage 1 - Staff review municipal properties and determine if any properties are appropriate for redevelopment and are no longer needed by the City
- Stage 2 - Recommendations to Council made to confirm sites can be used for affordable housing purposes
Phase 2 - Land Planning and Development “Site-Prep” Process
- Stage 1 - Formal Consultation
- Stage 2 - Studies supporting land use prepared
- Stage 3 - City-Initiated Zoning By-law Amendment application processing including public notification
- Stage 4 - Report to Planning Committee and Council where land use changes are made
Phase 3 - Disposition
- City issues a conditional Market Sounding and Offering for a property
- Agreements are negotiated and executed with the selected Affordable Housing Provider(s)
Phase 4 - Building
- Affordable Housing Provider obtains site plan approval and building permits
- Construction on the building commences
Phase 2 and Phase 3 may occur in the reverse order depending on the site details.
Housing Opportunities on Municipal Land
Affordable Housing Development Properties
Municipal Land Disposition Property Status
The Municipal Land Disposition Property Status Map shows the properties that have been declared surplus by Council and the development status of each property
- Completed - Project has been built and is occupied
- Listed - property is currently available through an offering process
- Pre-development - Some work is being completed
- To be listed - property has been declared surplus and is being prepared for offering
- Under construction - Housing is being built
- Under Review - Corporate Real Estate Office is exploring a possible housing opportunity