Kitchener is proposing to allow up to 4 units on a single lot City-wide

The City of Kitchener is advancing a proposal to allow up to four residential units on a single property throughout the city.

In a unanimous decision, city councillors endorsed Mayor Berry Vrbanovic's proposal, which permits the construction of up to four units on any property where the current zoning allows for single detached homes, semi-detached houses, or street townhouses, provided the lot size is adequate.

This initiative is regarded as a valuable strategy in addressing the persistent challenges of housing availability and affordability, though providing more housing supply opportunities in the built up area.

These units would be permitted as-of-right, eliminating the need for a separate zoning bylaw amendment to undertake such developments. Presently, as-of-right zoning allows for up to three residential units, including examples such as a triplex or a house with a basement apartment and a backyard dwelling, on a single lot. Three residential units on one lot was a recent change brought forward by the Province's Bill 23.

City staff have been instructed to return to the council in the first quarter of 2024 with a zoning bylaw amendment that will officially implement the change to allow up to four units on a property.