Community Improvement Plan | Updates

Background

In 2024, the Township of Muskoka Lakes launched the Community Improvement Plan (CIP) Private Sector Incentive Program, aimed at encouraging reinvestment in privately owned properties to enhance the vitality of the Bala and Port Carling downtown areas.

Today, like many communities across Ontario, Muskoka Lakes is experiencing growing pressure on its housing supply, with a particular need for more attainable and workforce housing options to support residents, businesses, and the overall vitality of the community.

Seeking to address critical housing needs, the Township has proposed amendments to the CIP program that introduce new incentive programs focused on housing that would be available for property and business owners across the Township of Muskoka Lakes.

Interested in helping shape the future of this program? Keep reading for proposed program updates and share your feedback in the survey below.

Proposed Program Updates

The proposed updates are centered around amendments to the CIP Private Sector Incentive Program, developed in consultation with The Planning Partnership. These amendments continue, revise, and expand existing programs, and introduces new grant programs focused on housing.

Under the proposed amendments:

• Four existing programs, including the Shoreline Structure Grant, Ecological Space Grant, Business Structural and Mechanical Upgrade Grant, and Business Accessibility and Façade Upgrade Grant remain unchanged and continue to apply to the Bala and Port Carling project areas.
• One revised program, the existing Attainable and Employee Housing Grant, would be revised and replaced with an updated Employee Housing Grant Program that applies across the Township (excluding waterfront properties) and supports housing for workers in all industries.
• Five new housing incentive programs are proposed for the entire Township, including:
  1. Attainable Housing Feasibility Grant Program – assists developers in evaluating the viability of new attainable housing projects.
  2. Additional Dwelling Unit Program – encourages the addition of secondary suites or accessory units in existing residential areas.
  3. Municipal Fee Grant Program – intends to reduce the up-front costs in constructing new housing, by providing incentives to cover building permit fees or planning application fees.
  4. Development Charges Grant Equivalent Program – offers rebates for Township development charges associated with attainable housing projects.
  5. Tax Increment Equivalency Grant Program – provides financial incentives over a 10-year period to offset increased taxation resulting from new attainable housing development.

A revised CIP Private Sector Incentive Program Policy will accompany the update, including a refined definition of “attainable housing” to ensure eligibility reflects a range of modest ownership and rental options.

Financial Highlights

Since the CIP’s adoption in 2023, Council has approved 19 private sector applications, awarding $316,301.41 in grants and leveraging more than $1.2 million in private investment. Approximately $102,421.46 in unallocated funding remains available as of October 2025, with an additional $100,000 proposed in the 2026 Municipal Budget.

Public Consultation and Next Steps

Community feedback on the proposed amendments will be accepted until Wednesday, November 26, 2025, through the online survey below. Prior to submitting feedback, please review the following documents:

• Staff Report DSES-2025-36 (overview of proposed amendments)
• Appendix II (proposed new Section 6)

All input will be summarized and presented at a public Planning Committee meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 11, 2025. Meeting details are available in the sidebar under Key Dates.