Ontario ARU & Secondary Suite Grants: Complete Municipal Directory (2026)

Barrie (City) — Barrie Bonus

Simcoe County

Type

Cash grant

Unit Types

Secondary suites, garden suites

Rent Requirement

Yes — must qualify for Simcoe County Secondary Suites first

Commitment Period

15 years

Notes

Stacks on top of Simcoe County program. Also: 50% building permit fee reduction + full rebate if occupancy within 12 months.

HousingCIP@barrie.ca | 705-739-4220 x4416

County of Simcoe — Secondary Suites Program

Simcoe County (incl. Barrie, Collingwood, Innisfil, Bradford, Midland + others)

Type

15-year forgivable loan

Unit Types

Secondary suites, garden suites

Rent Requirement

Yes — at or below CMHC average market rent for 15 years

Commitment Period

15 years

Notes

Year-round intake, first-come-first-served. Owner-occupied principal residence required for most streams. Up to 6 suites per property (County stream). Accessibility grant up to $5,000 additional.

iah@simcoe.ca | 705-725-7215 x1119

City of Waterloo — ARU Grant

Waterloo Region

Type

Grant (50% of project cost)

Unit Types

Detached + interior ARUs

Rent Requirement

Yes — rent ≤80% of CMHC average market rent for 5 years (both streams)

Commitment Period

5 years

Notes

Two streams by unit type: a Detached ARU grant (up to $30,000) and an Interior ARU grant (up to $20,000), each 50% of project cost. Affordability applies to BOTH — rent at or below 80% of CMHC average market rent (by bedroom type) for a minimum of 5 years. Limited Housing Accelerator Fund funding (~25 ARUs target) — waitlist once full.

City of Waterloo housing programs

City of Burlington — ARU Incentive Program

Halton Region

Type

10-year forgivable loan (converts to a grant)

Unit Types

ARUs including modular

Rent Requirement

Yes — keep the unit affordable for 10 years (provincial rent caps); the loan then converts to a grant

Commitment Period

10 years

Notes

Burlington’s original UP-FRONT GRANT closed October 1, 2025. It was replaced — under the Affordable Rental Housing Community Improvement Plan — by an ARU FORGIVABLE LOAN: keep the unit affordable for 10 years (provincially-set rent caps) and the loan converts to a grant. Former grant tiers were up to $95,000 (new detached), $70,000 (interior/garage conversion) and $15,000 (legalizing a unit) — confirm the current loan amounts with the City.

City of Burlington housing department

Hamilton — Ontario Renovates Secondary Suites

City of Hamilton

Type

15-year forgivable loan (+ accessibility grant)

Unit Types

Secondary / accessory suites

Rent Requirement

Yes — rent at an affordable rate to income-eligible tenants for 15 years

Commitment Period

15 years

Notes

A $25,000 forgivable loan to add or renovate a self-contained secondary suite, plus a $5,000 grant when the project includes accessibility modifications (up to $30,000 total). The loan is forgiven over 15 years provided the suite is rented at an affordable rate to income-eligible tenants for that period. Delivered through the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI); income limits apply. Note: Hamilton also runs a separate, newer ADU & Multi-Plex Housing Incentive grant (below) — confirm which program fits your project.

City of Hamilton Housing Services Division

Hamilton — ADU & Multi-Plex Housing Incentive

City of Hamilton

Type

Grant (70% of eligible costs)

Unit Types

ADUs / garden suites + multi-plex (6 units or fewer)

Rent Requirement

No ongoing affordability covenant stated — confirm current terms

Notes

A direct GRANT — distinct from Hamilton’s Ontario Renovates forgivable loan above: 70% of eligible costs to a maximum of $40,000 per unit, paid in two advances. Applies to building permits issued on or after Oct 9, 2025 (this $40,000 tier replaced the earlier $25,000); projects must reach occupancy by ~Aug 4, 2027. Funded by the federal Housing Accelerator Fund. Unlike the forgivable-loan program, no ongoing affordability covenant is stated — confirm eligibility and current terms with the City.

City of Hamilton Housing Secretariat

Town of Whitby — ADU Incentive Agreement

Durham Region

Type

Permit & fee reimbursement (HAF-funded)

Unit Types

ADUs incl. detached garden suites

Rent Requirement

No — not affordability-conditioned

Notes

Reimburses the ADU building permit fee, registration inspection fee, curb-cut fee, below-grade-entrance fee, and (for detached ADUs) education development charges. Funded by the federal Housing Accelerator Fund. HARD DEADLINES — no exceptions or extensions: building permit applied for by Dec 31, 2026, permit issued on/after Apr 1, 2024, and the ADU registered with the Town by Mar 31, 2027. ADU registration fee is $268 ($534 if discovered via complaint).

bylaw@whitby.ca

Town of Ajax — "Build More, Get More"

Durham Region

Type

Cash grant

Unit Types

ADUs incl. detached garden suites

Rent Requirement

No — not affordability-conditioned

Notes

Per-unit grant that scales with the number of new dwelling units added (up to $12,000 per property). The building permit must be applied for on or after July 2, 2025; funding is first-come, first-served through March 1, 2027. Confirm current availability with the Town.

buildingpermits@ajax.ca | 905-619-2529 ext. 3631

CMHC — Mortgage Refinance for Secondary Suites (Federal)

National (all Ontario municipalities)

Type

Insured mortgage refinancing

Unit Types

Self-contained secondary / garden / laneway suites (properties up to 4 units)

Rent Requirement

No — but one unit must be owner/family-occupied (no short-term rentals)

Notes

Lets you refinance your existing mortgage to fund building a new self-contained secondary suite: up to 90% loan-to-value on a property valued up to $2,000,000, amortized up to 30 years, on properties up to 4 units. At least one unit must be occupied by you or a relative (not a short-term rental under 90 days), minimum credit score 600, and CMHC must approve the insured financing before construction begins. Arrange through a CMHC-approved mortgage lender. This is mortgage financing, not a grant — it can stack with municipal grants.

Via a CMHC-approved mortgage lender