The Development Charges (DC) Deferral program is an incentive offered through the Housing Community Improvement Plan (CIP). Applications are now open and accepted on a rolling basis.
To reduce financial barriers to the construction of high-density residential and mixed-use buildings, the City of Barrie is allowing qualifying projects to seek approval to defer the payment of project development charges (DCs) from Building Permit issuance to prior to the issuance of the final Occupancy Permit.
Requests to defer DCs through the Housing CIP program must be made at time of Building Permit application and will be reviewed for compliance with the eligibility criteria by Financial Services in consultation with Development Services. If all criteria are met the deferrals will be granted and an agreement between the City and the owner (registered or assessed owners of lands/buildings) will be required; this may be registered on title of the subject lands. The City may require payment of DCs at any time following the issuance of a Building Permit, where there is not compliance with an executed agreement.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible to defer DCs to occupancy under the Housing CIP, applicants must meet all the eligibility criteria in Sections 3.4.1 and 3.4.2 of the Housing CIP. Please read and review the Housing CIP before completing an application to confirm your understanding of the program and that your project meets all eligibility criteria. Below is a summary of eligibility criteria all projects must meet:
- The project must be new construction and located within the City of Barrie.
- The development must be high density residential development (standalone or mixed-use of any tenure, at least 225 residential units per hectare) with a minimum estimated construction completion period of three or more years.
- The minimum amount of DCs owing to be eligible is currently $3,000,000.00, as established by the Development Services Housing Bulletin.
- This program is available to both nonprofit and charitable organizations, and market/for-profit housing developers, or partnerships between them.
- Projects must have received Site Plan Control approval and have submitted a building permit application.
- Projects can be under construction but must not have been issued an Occupancy Permit by Building Services.
- The property owner must agree to enter into an agreement with the City of Barrie respecting the terms, duration, and default provisions of the incentive(s) to be provided.
- The property under consideration shall not be in a position of property tax arrears.
- Proposed development must meet or exceed the City’s Official Plan density requirements.
- Project sites shall not be located on lands subject to flooding hazards, erosion hazards, including wetlands.
How to Apply
There are two ways to apply to the DC deferral program:
- Via APLI, the City's online application portal. Applying via APLI is the preferred method, as it allows faster processing and you to track your application status.
- Via email. Emailed applications take longer to process and you will not be able to track your application status online.
Please see the Guidelines & Application for Development Charges (DC) Deferral for full information and detailed application requirements.
An application to defer DCs to occupancy under the Housing CIP must be submitted at the time a Building Permit application is made. Applications can be accepted after Building Permit issuance but must be received prior to the issuance of an Occupancy Permit by Building Services.
Development Services staff aim to confirm DC deferral eligibility within two weeks of receiving a completed application. Once staff have confirmed eligibility, applicants will be notified in writing and then Legal Services will work with them to finalize and register the necessary legal agreements.