Community improvement and incentives

• Affordable Housing – Additional Residential Unit (ARU) Loan, Detached Additional Residential Unit (ARU) Forgivable Loans, Affordable Housing Development Loan, Dollars to Doors Affordable Units Program, Highly Supportive Housing Units Programs
• Brownfield – Contamination Assessment Study Grant, Development Charge Rebate Program, Tax Increment Grant
• Heritage – Tax Increment Grant, Development Charge Equivalent Grant
• Industrial Lands – Industrial Development Charge Grant
• Transit Oriented Development – Transit Oriented Development Per-Unit Forgivable Loan

• Argyle Core Area: map of area – No active programs
• Airport: map of area – Tax Increment Grant
• Core Area: map of area – Safety Audit Grant, Vacant Commercial Space Fit-Out Grant
• Downtown: map of area – Façade Improvement Loan, Upgrade to Building Code Loan, Rehabilitation and Redevelopment Tax Grant, Office-to-Residential Conversion Grant, Core Area Safety Audit Grant, Residential Development Charges Grant
• Hamilton Road: map of area – Façade Improvement Loan, Upgrade to Building Code Loan
• Lambeth Area: map of area – Façade Improvement Loan
• Old East Village: map of area – Façade Improvement Loan, Upgrade to Building Code Loan, Rehabilitation and Redevelopment Tax Grant, Core Area Safety Audit Grant, Residential Development Charges Grant
• SoHo: map of area – Façade Improvement Loan, Upgrade to Building Code Loan, Rehabilitation and Redevelopment Tax Grant

The Additional Residential Unit (ARU) Construction Grant incentive program offers financial assistance to property owners to help offset the costs of creating one new ARU anywhere on the property that functions as their primary residence. 

The Additional Residential Unit (ARU) Construction Grant for New Homes incentive program offers financial assistance to builders to help offset the costs of creating one new ARU anywhere on a property that features a new, unoccupied single-detached house.

Program Terms and Conditions

• Only applies to ARUs granted building permits between April 29, 2026 and September 7, 2026, inclusive.
  Building permit must be issued by September 7.
• Funding will be a maximum of $20,000 for the construction of one (1) ARU of any type anywhere on a property featuring a new, unoccupied single-detached house. The money is provided after a building permit is issued by the City of London, a legal agreement with the City is signed, and a lien is registered on the property’s title in the amount of the funding.
• Construction of the ARU shall start within one (1) year of the execution of the legal agreement and shall be completed (including closure of the building permit) within three (3) years of the execution of the legal agreement.
• The lien will be discharged once the construction of the ARU is completed, the building permit is closed, and there is no evidence of default under the legal agreement.

The Additional Residential Unit (ARU) Loan offers financial assistance to property owners to help offset the costs of creating new additional residential units.

• The loan amount is the lesser of $45,000 or the cost of the eligible works for any ARU type at any rent. 

Eligibility criteria:

• The primary dwelling unit on the property is owner-occupied. 

• The property owner must have a valid Residential Rental Unit License (RRUL), which must be maintained and renewed annually with the City. 

• The ARU cannot operate as short-term rental accommodations. All tenants must enter into a formal residential lease agreement with a minimum term of 31 days. 

• The application must be approved before any work begins. 

• The loan is issued after the ARU has been created and paid for in full. 

• The loan is repaid over 108 equal monthly payments, starting one year after the loan is advanced. 

Additional eligibility requirements may apply. Please contact City staff to confirm your eligibility.

The Temporary Waiving of Building Permit Fees program is designed to incentivize residential development within areas already well-served by transit. Through this program, the City will reimburse and waive applicable building permit fees related to a residential development project.

• The by-law for the program identifies the fees that are reimbursed and waived when the building permit is issued.
• This program does not reimburse or waive any other development fees payable to other agencies involved in the development review process.
• This program does not reimburse fees collected because of work starting prior to permit issuance.

Eligibility Criteria

• A project must be issued a building permit after April 28, 2026, and on or before the program deadline of September 7, 2026.
• A project that creates the following types of new dwelling units with the project area as identified in the by-law is eligible for fee reimbursement and waiving:
  • Single detached
  • Semi-detached
  • Duplex
  • Townhouse or rowhouse
  • Additional Residential Units
  • Apartments
• The Chief Building Official or designate may authorize the waiving of any outstanding fees through this program for building permit applications already submitted for new residential dwelling units but not yet paid if the permit is issued after April 28, 2026, and on or before the program deadline of September 7, 2026.
• The applicant will need to pay the applicable application fee when submitting their building permit application. This fee will be reimbursed if the residential development project is deemed eligible for the program.
• Non-residential uses are ineligible for this program.
• A project started without a building permit will not have its fees waived or reimbursed.
• A project where the applicant revokes or cancels an active building permit application to then reapply for the building permit to take advantage of this program will not have its fees waived or reimbursed.

NOTE: Council approved $2.5 million funding for the fee waiving program. If that cap is reached, the program may be discontinued before September 7, 2026. 

Additional eligibility requirements may apply. Please contact City staff to confirm your eligibility and to request the by-law and map.

The Core Area Safety Audit Grant program supports local businesses and property owners in the Core Area CIPA, by providing financial support to property owners to improve the safety and security of their properties.

• This program supports 50% of the total cost of the property improvements, up to a maximum amount of $10,000 per property, subject to available funding.  Eligible expenses for this grant included the installation of exterior lighting, storefront gates, landscaping, exterior security cameras and other physical property improvements that improve the safety and security of the property.
   
  
  Eligibility criteria:
• The applicant must be the registered property owner or an authorized agent.
• The application must be approved before any work begins.
• The property owner must have no outstanding debts to the City of London.
• The property must be located within the Core Area Community Improvement Project Area.

Additional eligibility requirements may apply.  Please contact City staff to confirm your eligibility.

The Façade Improvement Loan offers financial support for enhancing building exteriors, covering upgrades to windows, doors, brick repairs, painting, lighting, and signage attached to the façade.

• The loan covers 50% of the improvement costs, up to a maximum of $50,000. It is repaid over 10 years with 0% interest. In some areas, a portion of the loan may be forgiven.

Eligibility criteria:

• The applicant must be the registered property owner or an authorized agent.
• The application must be approved before any work begins.
• The property owner must maintain at least 10% equity in the property after the improvement.
• All City of London property taxes must be paid in full when the loan or grant is issued and remain current for the duration of the loan or grant.
• The property owner must have no outstanding debts to the City of London.
• The property must be located within an approved Community Improvement Project Area.

Additional eligibility requirements may apply. Please contact City staff to confirm your eligibility.

The Office-to-Residential (OTR) Construction Conversion Grant offers a per-unit incentive grant, functioning as a forgivable loan, for eligible office-to-residential conversion projects

• The maximum grant is $35,000 per unit, subject to available funding. This grant applies to all unit types, including bachelor, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom units.

Eligibility criteria:

• The applicant must be the registered property owner or an authorized agent.
• The application must be approved before any work begins.
• The application must be submitted before or at the same time as the building permit application.
• The property owner must maintain at least 10% equity in the property after the improvement.
• The property owner must have no outstanding debts to the City of London.
• The property must be located within the Downtown Community Improvement Project Areas.
• The property must be an eligible vacant class 'B' or class 'C' building.

Additional eligibility requirements may apply. Please contact City staff to confirm your eligibility.
 

All funding under this program must be disbursed by September 8, 2027, meaning applicants must obtain their building permit and receive the grant by that date.

The Rehabilitation and Redevelopment Tax Grant refunds a portion of the municipal tax increase resulting from the rehabilitation of an existing building or the construction of a new one. A percentage of this tax increase is refunded to the property owner annually for a 10-year period.

• There is no maximum grant amount for this program. The total grant value is determined by the MPAC re-assessment of the redeveloped property. The grant amount will vary depending on the project and will decrease over the 10-year payback period. 

Eligibility criteria:

• The applicant must be the registered property owner or an authorized agent.
• The application must be approved before work begins.
• The application must be submitted before or at the same time as the building permit application.
• The property owner must maintain at least 10% equity in the property after the improvement.
• City of London property taxes must be paid in full when the grant is issued and remain current for the duration of the grant.
• The property owner must have no outstanding debts to the City of London.
• The property must be located within the Downtown, Old East Village, or SoHo Community Improvement Project Area.
• The annual grant cannot exceed the municipal portion of the property tax collected for the property in any given year.

Additional eligibility requirements may apply. Please contact City staff to confirm your eligibility.

The Residential Development Charges Grant program is designed to encourage private sector investment in residential property development in the Downtown and Old East Village areas. A grant, equal to a rebate of residential Development Charges (DCs), is offered for each new residential unit constructed.

• The maximum grant amount per property is equal to the net residential DCs paid. The program reimburses a portion of the residential DCs paid by the applicant over a 10-year period, until 100% of the residential DCs have been refunded.

Eligibility criteria:

• The applicant must be the registered property owner or an authorized agent.
• The application must be approved before any work begins.
• The application must be submitted before or at the same time as the building permit application.
• The property owner must maintain at least 10% equity in the property after the improvement.
• The property owner must have no outstanding debts to the City of London.
• The property must be located within the Downtown or Old East Village Community Improvement Project Areas.
• Applicants who choose to pay development charges over 21 annual installments are not eligible for this grant program.

Additional eligibility requirements may apply. Please contact City staff to confirm your eligibility.

The application window for this program has now closed.

The Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Per-Unit Forgivable Loan Program offers financial assistance per unit to help cover the costs of eligible projects, such as mixed-use developments, new housing, or converting office spaces into residential units.

• The maximum forgivable loan is $15,000 per unit, up to a maximum of $1,500,000 per project, subject to available funding. This forgivable loan applies to all unit types, including bachelor, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom units.

Eligibility criteria:

• The Applicant must be the Property Owner of the Property or an authorized agent (including building tenant or contractor who has been retained to undertake improvements).
• The property owner must construct a mixed-use or residential development with a minimum of 20 residential units or undertaking an office-to-residential conversion project with no minimum project size.

• No longer accepting applications - Applications were accepted by staff during the application window of January 5, 2026 to March 27, 2026.

• After the application window has closed, applications will be scored against the Council approved application evaluation matrix to determine what applications will receive funding.
• The property must be located within the eligible area of the Transit Oriented Development Community Improvement Project Area.
• There are no City of London Building Division orders or deficiencies and no by-law infractions relating to the Property at the time the forgivable loan is issued.

Additional eligibility requirements may apply. Please contact City staff to confirm your eligibility.

The Upgrade to Building Code Loan offers financial support for interior improvements to your building, including upgrades to plumbing, electrical systems, HVAC, mechanical systems, roofing, fire protection systems, and other work required to meet Building Code standards.

• The loan covers 50% of the improvement costs, up to a maximum of $200,000. It is repaid over 10 years with 0% interest. In certain areas, a portion of the loan may be forgiven.

Eligibility criteria:

• The applicant must be the registered property owner or an authorized agent.
• The application must be approved before any work begins.
• The property owner must maintain at least 10% equity in the property after the improvement.
• The property owner must have no outstanding debts to the City of London.
• The property must be located within an approved Community Improvement Project Area.

Additional eligibility requirements may apply. Please contact City staff to confirm your eligibility.

Helps business owners and tenants pay for the cost of setting up empty spaces so they can begin business operations. 

• The grant amount covers 50% of the improvement costs, up to a maximum of $50,000.

Eligibility criteria: 

• The application must be approved before any work begins.
• The business must fall under a targeted commercial use as listed in the program guidelines.
• City staff will conduct site visits both before and after the improvements to verify that work has been completed.
• The term of the lease must be a minimum of two years (if the business owner is a tenant).
• The property must be located within the Core Area Community Improvement Project Area excluding any property owned or leased by the City or City agencies, boards, or commissions.
• For businesses in the Downtown relocating to a new commercial space, the area of the proposed location must be greater than the current location.
• Additional eligibility requirements may apply. Please contact City staff to confirm your eligibility. 

Funding will be issued once the Loan or Grant Agreement is signed and the City verifies that the work is complete. This verification may include, but is not limited to:

• A letter from the owner certifying the completion of the work
• Photos of the completed work
• Contractor payment records
• Confirmation that all applicable permit sign-offs have been obtained