Infrastructure Development & Funding: Accelerating Housing Through Regional Collaboration

Lessons from the Housing Accelerator Fund

Abby Heddle-Jacobs, MCIP, RPP

October 18, 2026

Overview

01

Introduction

02

HAF Application

03

What we did and how we did it

04

Lessons Learned

About Middlesex County

• 8 Lower-Tier Municipalities
• Predominantly rural, with a number of growing urban centres
• Shared service model for planning services
• Middlesex Centre provides building services to 6 of the 8 municipalities
• Most current zoning by-laws established between 2003-2008 with only minor housekeeping amendments

Introduction

• In alignment with County Council’s strategic goal to strengthen collaboration with local municipalities and regional partners, the County of Middlesex supported 7 of the 8 local municipalities in Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) applications (both round 1 & 2)
• Providing on-going support on HAF implementation in the four local municipalities who successfully received funding through HAF2
• Coordinated approach is intended to improve economic efficiency, enhance service delivery and support regional development that reflects community priorities

Application Overview

• During the HAF application window, the County partnered with local municipalities in the preparation of HAF applications
• County staff worked collaboratively with local municipal staff to identify priority actions and develop Housing Action Plans that met the HAF program requirements while reflecting local housing needs and planning goals
• Two urban stream municipalities with 7 initiatives in their Action Plans and two rural stream municipalities with 5 initiatives in their Action Plans were approved
• Urban – Middlesex Centre and Strathroy-Caradoc
• Rural – North Middlesex and Lucan Biddulph

Zoning Reform and Grants were the two key aspects shared by each of the Municipalities’ HAF applications

Implementing the HAF Action Plan

• The County, in partnership with the HAF municipalities, retained consultants to undertake specialized work on housing policy and regulatory reform as well as Community Improvement Plans (CIPs)
• This coordinated approach enabled consistent implementation across municipal boundaries
• Where possible, most zoning by-law definitions and regulations were standardized

Four completely different Zoning By-laws = a significant amount of work!

Community Improvement Plans

• The local CIPs included limited housing-supportive incentives prior to the HAF amendment
• The HAF CIP work provides extra tools in the toolbox that can be utilized as Councils wish to offer targeted support to affordable housing projects
• Near market and affordable housing rental program, rental housing retrofit program, tiered tax incremental grant program
• Increased grant amounts for eligible projects – near market and affordable rentals

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• ARU Grants
• Ranging from $8,000-$15,000
• Wide ranging eligibility (detached/attached, settlement areas AND agricultural areas), online application form, etc
• Some municipalities delegated authority to approve these grants to further streamline the process

Development Charge Grant Program

Middlesex Centre

5%

Singles

10%

Towns

15%

Apartments

• On top of legislated discounts
• Funded through HAF
• Automatic reduction – no application necessary

Key Changes within the Zoning By-laws

Simplified definitions/permitted uses

• E.g. Link dwelling/converted dwelling replaced with “multiple unit dwelling”

Greater list of permitted uses in R1 zones:

• Essentially eliminated single family zoning – Multiple Unit Dwellings permitted in R1 zones
• 4 units as of right in serviced urban settlement areas

Lot Regulations:

• Removed minimum floor area provisions
• Overall modernized lot regulations

Making Municipally Owned Land Available for Housing

• Utilized a portion of the HAF funding to undertake a phase 1 and 2 ESA
• Amended the municipality’s land sale policy to include a provision supporting affordable and attainable housing
• Working with a community group to support affordable development of these lands

Making affordable housing more affordable

108 Caverhill Crescent, Komoka

Rezoning

• New Zoning By-law Passed Mid-Project
• Amendment went from rezoning with many site-specific regulations, to only requiring one

Simplified zoning

Edgewater Phase 3

Subdivision Redline

New zoning by-law supported greater density and options for built-form without the need for rezoning

More Flexibility to respond to Market Demand

Build Ready Housing Catalogue

• North Middlesex was one of 32 municipalities who exceeded their HAF unit target in 2025 and was able to apply for additional funding for a new initiative – the Build Ready Housing Catalogue
• The program will be rolled out County-wide to the benefit of all 8 local municipalities
• The County is supporting coordination – retained an architect to do the designs
• Will be launching a public survey shortly
• This program is intended provide free plans to anyone who is interested in constructing an Additional Residential Unit (ARU) on their property
• Catalogue will include designs for ARUs in settlement areas and in the agricultural area

Build Ready Housing Catalogue

Lessons Learned

01 What would we do again?

02 What would we do differently?

03 What happens when the funding ends?

Key Takeaways

01

Not every initiative needs to be innovative

Sometimes the most effective changes are the ones that remove an existing barrier

02

Housing policy is not implemented in a vacuum

Capacity, process, communication and local context matter

03

HAF should create lasting change after the program is finished

Continued change is the real measure of success

Turn HAF momentum into lasting change

Thank you!

Abby Heddle-Jacobs, MSc (Pl), RPP, MCIP

aheddle@middlesex.ca

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