Ontario Construction News staff writer
Mississauga is exploring new ways to build semi-detached and detached homes on smaller lots in residential neighbourhoods. Many homes in city neighbourhoods currently sit on large lots with two or fewer residents, despite a city-wide need for more housing.
One proposal is to update the city’s neighbourhood zoning to allow more semi-detached and detached homes on smaller lots. This would help increase density in a “gentle” way, while also offering a creative solution to build more housing in areas that lack available land for development.
To gather community feedback, the city is hosting three virtual meetings as part of its neighbourhood zoning review. The key areas of discussion will include:
- Allowing more semi-detached homes in areas historically zoned for detached homes only
- Updating lot requirements to accommodate homes on smaller lots
- Simplifying the zoning for single-detached neighbourhoods in the city’s Zoning By-law
The aim is to increase flexibility and create more low-rise housing options on residential properties by reducing barriers for semi-detached and detached homes on smaller lots.
This review is part of the next phase of the Increasing Housing Choices in Neighbourhoods (IHCN) initiative, which, since 2021, has introduced new rules for additional residential units (ARUs) such as garden suites, garage conversions, laneway suites and fourplexes.
Virtual community engagement meetings
Residents are invited to participate in virtual community meetings for different areas of the city:
- Northern Mississauga (Wards 5, 9, 10, 11): Nov. 7, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
- Central Mississauga (Wards 3, 4, 6, 7): Nov. 14, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
- Southern Mississauga (Wards 1, 2, 8): Nov. 21, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Residents are encouraged to attend the session for their area but are welcome to join any meeting that fits their schedule. To find out which meeting corresponds to their area, residents can use the city’s Find My Ward map.
A recorded presentation will be posted on the project website after the meetings. Comments and questions are welcome anytime.
Supporting housing innovation
In 2021, Mississauga launched the IHCN study to explore ways to introduce more housing choices in neighbourhoods. In late 2023, the city updated its Official Plan and Zoning By-law to make it easier to build:
- Up to two additional residential units (ARUs) in addition to the primary home, or
- A new fourplex on a lot
The IHCN initiative grew out of Mississauga’s 2017 Making Room for the Middle affordable housing strategy, making the city one of the first in Canada to develop a housing strategy focused on middle-income earners.