Turning the Lights On
Looking for the Hidden Housing on Ontario’s Main Streets
In historic Main Streets across Ontario, underutilized upper-floor housing units may
hold one of the keys to solving the housing crisis. The Ontario BIA Association and
Armstrong Strategy Group partner in this report to explore the extent of the problem.
Many of Ontario’s historic Main Streets predate the existence of the Ontario Building Code.
These districts tend to feature buildings arrayed wall-to-wall, built with commercial at
the ground floor and residential above. Over time, many of these residential units have
become vacant. Quantifying the number is challenged by the tendency of property
owners not to bring these empty units onto the market, a key reason for which is
the need for compliance with the Building Code – and the cost of meeting it.
Building Code policy concerning existing buildings is that a change of use or a major
renovation means the building must be brought up to the current code requirements.
For many historic buildings, the cost of getting there is prohibitive. Some municipalities
are beginning to recognize this challenge and prepare policies that help property
owners make the needed renovations, providing incentives to help cover those
costs while still meeting the rigorous safety standards envisioned by the Code.
This report explores the Main Street housing situation in a selection of Ontario communities.
It looks at how cities and institutions are working to incentivize upper-floor housing
reactivation, the policy tools at their disposal and the results they are seeing. And it attempts
to better define the scope of the problem – and the magnitude of the potential solutions.
