Housing

• Implemented amendments to the City’s Development Charges By-law to waive all Development Charges for new housing developments within the Downtown Urban Growth Centre.
  • Today, there are approximately 1,600 residential units in the development pipeline in the Downtown Urban Growth Centre.
  • Visit our Development Charges webpage and the Parkland Dedication By-law 63-2022 for more details.

•  Introduced e-permitting (through our online Application Portal) for all development and building permit types. E-permitting modernizes and speeds up development approvals, and makes it easier for applicants to submit, manage and track the status of their development and building permit applications. 
• Implementing systems to monitor and publicly report on application processing times, with an emphasis on continuous assessment and improvement
• Encouraging missing middle housing types by providing pre-approved building plans
• Continuing to review plans for new homes to make sure they meet the rules set by the Province and the City and monitoring the number of existing and planned affordable housing units in Oshawa.  View our progress on the Housing dashboard

• Actively modernizing requirements –  especially for residential uses –  by adjusting minimums (e.g., parking requirements)
• Implementing changes to the Zoning By-law and the Oshawa Official Plan to allow for taller buildings and more homes in the Downtown Oshawa Urban Growth Centre. This means that Downtown Oshawa can now have up to 1,000 homes per hectare, compared to 550 previously. These changes encourage growth and can lower housing costs by reducing the need for rezoning applications and minor variances. Read Report ED-24-91 to learn more.
• Promoting construction of accessory apartments by updating zoning standards and permitting three units as-of-right City-wide
  • For more information about the expanded permissions, visit our Accessory Apartments webpage
• Completing a study for Central Oshawa to plan for land use and transportation around the future Central Oshawa GO Station. The study focuses on creating complete communities with different types of housing that support public transit and active transportation (cycling, walking, etc.).
  • As part of the study, the maximum building heights and residential densities will be increased in strategic areas  along the Highway 2 Rapid Transit Corridor linking Downtown Oshawa to Scarborough in the City of Toronto
• Continuing to look for opportunities to make the Oshawa Official Plan and Zoning By-law policies and regulations easier to understand, keep them up to date, address problems, and speed up the development process.

Introducing a municipal property acquisition, investment and partnership program focusing on property acquisition, investment and involvement in public/private partnerships to rehabilitate and/or redevelop private or publicly-owned property in the Downtown Oshawa Urban Growth Centre and the Central Oshawa Protected Major Transit Station Area. 

• Offering City-owned surplus lands to accommodate housing projects such as the Habitat for Humanity GTA's project at 485 Normandy St. containing 50 affordable housing units and the Region's project at 419-451 Christine Cres. containing 160 units, of which approximately 36 units will be affordable units and approximately 12 units will be rent-geared-to-income units
• Partnering with the Region to revitalize community housing in two housing communities located at 416-448 Malaga Rd. and 419-451 Christine Cres., with over 550 units combined
• Supporting the Region’s redevelopment of the former Ritson Public School to include a mixed-use, sustainably-built housing project along with community programs, planned to accommodate up to 660 units, with at least 30% being affordable units
• Supporting the Region’s redevelopment of the former Grandview Children’s Centre site at 600 Townline Rd. S., which includes a proposed six-storey building with a mix of affordable and market housing, along with children’s programs and a new Region-operated childcare centre.
• Advancing planning applications and/or building permits for the following private-sector affordable housing projects:
  • 115 Colborne St. –  a 75-unit affordable apartment building
  • 1707 Ritson Rd. N. – a 66-unit development of stacked back-to-back townhouses  (Durham Region Non-Profit Housing Corporation); receiving over $7 million in combined funding through the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative and the Canada – Ontario Community Housing Initiative, in addition to a $27.5 million investment through federal government’s Affordable Housing Fund
  • 1050 Simcoe St. S. (Conant Place) – a 54-unit seniors affordable rental apartment building (Durham Region Non-Profit Housing Corporation); Conant Place was supported by an Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative investment of over $6.9 million

• Welcoming over $41 million in joint funding announced in June 2026 from the Governments of Canada and Ontario to support the developments at 1707 Ritson Rd. N. and 1050 Simcoe St. S. (Conant Place).
  • 1707 Ritson Rd. N. – DRNPHC will be a 66-unit development of stacked and back-to-back townhouses. Once complete in December 2026, it will be located near essential community and health services, including schools, childcare centres, parks, pharmacies, and major commercial centres. The project is receiving over $7 million in combined funding through the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative and the Canada – Ontario Community Housing Initiative, in addition to a $27.5 million investment through federal government’s Affordable Housing Fund.
  • Conant Place, located at 1050 Simcoe St. S., is a 54-unit affordable rental building that was completed in September 2025. This project was developed to help address the seniors rental housing waitlist in Durham Region and includes affordable units for seniors and individuals with disabilities. It is conveniently located near grocery stores, transit, and medical offices. Conant Place was supported by an Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative investment of over $6.9 million.