Planning Affordable Housing Fee Exemption Program

Charitable and not-for-profit organizations are eligible for fee exemptions for these Planning Application Fees: 

• Official Plan Amendment – 100% Fee Exemption 
• Zoning By-law Amendment Application – 100% Fee Exemption
• Site Plan Control – 100% Fee Exemption including: 
  • Clearing of Conditions fee and the applicable per unit Residential charge to a maximum of 50 units. 
  • Any other fees as per Conditions of Site Plan Approval remain in effect, unless explicitly listed as exempt. 
• Plan of Subdivision – 25% Reduction
• Plan of Condominium – 25% Reduction
• Part Lot Control – 25% Fee Reduction 
• Minor Variance Application – 100% Fee Exemption
• Formal Consultation – 100% Fee Exemption
• Formal Consultation Site Plan – 100% Fee Exemption
• Cash in Lieu of Parking Administration Fee – 100% Fee Exemption
• Record of Site Condition Administration Fee – 100% Fee Exemption
• Tree Protection Plan Review – 100% Fee Exemption
• General Vegetation Inventory Review – 100% Fee Exemption
• Permit to Demolish a Residential Rental Property – 100% Fee Exemption
• All other fees as per the fee schedule are to remain in effect. 

These fee exemptions are granted by authority of:

• Recommendation (a) of Report PED16098, as adopted by Council at its meeting held on May 25th, 2016;
• Recommendation (n) of Report PED22091(a), as amended and adopted by Council at its meeting held on June 26, 2024; and,
• Recommendation (a) of Report PED26016, as adopted by the Council at its meeting held on August 5, 2026.

In accordance with the Urban and Rural Hamilton Official Plan, “Affordable” means: 

• In the case of ownership housing, the least expensive of:
  • housing for which the purchase price results in annual accommodation costs which do not exceed 30 percent of gross annual household income for low and moderate income households; or 
  • housing for which the purchase price is at least 10 percent below the average purchase price of a resale unit in the City of Hamilton; and,
• in the case of rental housing, the least expensive of:
  • a unit for which the rent does not exceed 30 percent of gross annual household income for low and moderate income households; or
  • a unit for which the rent is at or below the average market rent of a unit in the City of Hamilton.
• in the case of housing developments, at least 25 percent of either affordable ownership or affordable rental housing. For the purposes of the City’s Official Plans, affordable housing developments may include a mix of affordable and market rate units, both ownership and rental.

“Average Rents” means for a calendar year, the average monthly City-wide rents by unit type (size) as determined in the year end annual survey of City-wide rents for the prior calendar year published by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). 

“Household Income” means total gross household income from all sources of all persons who reside in a unit or who will reside in a unit if it is rented to them as defined in the City’s Affordable Rental Housing – Income Verification Guide. 

“Monthly Occupancy Costs” means the amount of rent payable by the tenant to the landlord of a housing unit together with monthly charges for hydro, heat, water, and hot water for the unit but does not include charges for parking, cable, telephone or other similar charges. 

“New Non-Profit Housing” means either any development of Non-profit housing for which Development Charges would otherwise be payable and, for greater certainty, does not include upgrades or renovations to existing Non-profit housing, or as determined by the Manager, Infrastructure, Planning, & Development, Housing Secretariat in his/her sole discretion. 

“Non-profit housing” means Affordable Housing, which is or is not intended to be offered to persons or families of low to moderate income. 

“Not-for-Profit Co-operative” has the same meaning as in the Co-operative Corporations Act, R.S.O. 1990, C.35, as may be amended from time to time. 

“Not-for-Profit Corporation” means a corporation, no part of the income of which is payable to or otherwise available for the personal benefit of a member or a shareholder thereof. 

“Project” means the development or phase of a development for which a building permit is currently being contemplated.