Grey County Council has directed staff to create a Community Improvement Plan (CIP) and incorporate it into the 10-year capital budget.
A CIP is a tool now available to upper-tier municipalities through Bill 60, allowing them to provide targeted incentives to support community priorities such as housing and redevelopment.
CIPs are highly flexible and may include a wide variety of programs, such as tax increment equivalent grants (TIEGs), development charge or fee reductions, planning and building permit incentives, and land-based tools, each with defined eligibility criteria. Previously, CIPs were available only to lower-tier municipalities, not at the county level.
According to the report, the county is preparing a new development charges (DC) background study. Eligible costs associated with a county CIP could be supported through DC-based funding contributions if incorporated into that study. However, this funding would not extend to the annual implementation financing of the CIP programs once they are established.
Staff believe a county-level CIP represents a strategic opportunity to enhance Grey County’s ability to influence affordable housing outcomes in a coordinated, flexible and legally supported manner, in alignment with broader policy objectives and the Housing Action Plan.
An initial estimate of $50,000 is proposed for the CIP project, though the scope will be refined following background analysis and evaluation phases.