The Heritage Community Improvement Plan Program

• Annual grant equal to 75% of the municipal property tax increment resulting from the restoration project.
• Grants are payable for up to 10 years following project completion.
• The maximum total grant amount is $500,000 per project, not exceeding the total eligible restoration costs.

• The property must be designated under Part IV or be a Contributing property (Category 1, 2, 3 or Grade I) under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act.
• The project must demonstrate high standards of heritage conservation and integrate the heritage resource into a mixed-use or multi-unit residential development.
• The project must result in an increase in the number of housing units on the site.
• The project must generate an increase in municipal property taxes for the City of Ottawa.
• The applicant cannot receive concurrent funding for the same project through the Heritage Grant Program for Building Restoration.

Who is eligible?

• Owners of buildings designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act
• Owners of contributing properties (Category 1, 2, 3 or Grade I) designated under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act

Who is not eligible

• Applicants receiving concurrent funding for the same project through the Heritage Grant Program for Building Restoration.
• Projects that intend to combine this grant with any Community Improvement Plan programs other than the Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan.

Eligible expenses

• Restoration of heritage attributes identified by heritage staff.
• Fees for hiring a heritage consultant or architect to oversee restoration work.
• Costs for heritage reports, such as Heritage Impact Assessments and Conservation Reports.

Eligible geographic areas

• Properties located within the geographic boundary of the City of Ottawa, Ontario.

• Urgency of the project, such as the need for restoration or rehabilitation.
• Contribution to the public good, including enhancement of the public realm and support for Official Plan goals like housing affordability and sustainability.
• Project location within a Design Priority Area.
• Achievement of sustainability goals, for example, through deconstruction, material salvage and re-use, or green building retrofits.
• Extent of increase in housing units on the site.

• The grant is self-financing, funded through the property tax increase attributed to qualifying restoration work.
• Grants are disbursed only after completion of restoration, property reassessment, and settlement of all property taxes and appeals.
• An independent tax study by an accredited consultant is a required part of the application.
• The official program details and complete information are set out in By-laws No. 2024-176 and 2020-40.