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Municipal Incentives

Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing – Municipal Financial Tools for Planning and Development 

This publication was developed to help municipalities identify a range of potential financing tools available to support planning and development activities. It describes a number of municipal financial and planning incentives that encourage redevelopment, revitalization and improvement of existing built-up areas and neighbourhoods of a municipality. A number of municipalities offer significant financial assistance in the form of grants or loans. Others provide a financial incentive through the waiving of fees and charges. Still others provide indirect incentives through more flexible planning, parking and zoning requirements. 
View publication

Municipal Financial Tools for Planning and Development Series:

Business Improvement Areas (BIA): Municipalities across Ontario are actively engaged in community programs to encourage development that relies on existing infrastructure and provides for distinctive, attractive, walkable neighbourhoods with a strong sense of place. Street front retailing, including a range of entertainment, cultural, and commercial businesses, has a key role to play in creating and sustaining livable communities. A strong Business Improvement Area (BIA) is a tool that can improve the local investment climate and help street front businesses adapt to shifting economic trends.

Tax Increment-Based Financing (TIF): There are dynamic planning and financing programs going on in Ontario and municipalities are catching on quickly. As local governments seek means to revitalize their communities in value-added ways, they are evaluating what needs to be restored and rehabilitated. Old waterfronts, former manufacturing and commercial lands, run-down main streets, underused warehousing districts and heritage structures are all up for scrutiny. The goal is to renew the built environment to capture the economic, social, environmental and cultural benefits that will drive their growth in the 21st century. But the complexities and expense of these projects can be daunting. Municipalities need new, outward- looking financing means to harness the experience, creativity and ingenuity of both the public and private sectors and to facilitate economies that can be sustained now and in the future. 
View publication/fact sheet on TIF

Affordable Housing: These changes allow municipalities to use property tax exemptions and other incentives to encourage the construction of affordable housing. The new authority can be used as part of a Community Improvement Plan, as part of a package of other planning and development policies and municipal financial incentives, or on its own.

Municipal Online Property Tax Analysis (OPTA): Changes to Property Tax Assessments may also be an incentive towards revitalization of a community. Access to this site is restricted to Ontario municipalities. It contains a business application to help municipalities make decisions required under the new assessment and property tax system.