Boarding Houses and Farm Worker Dwellings

boarding house

Boarding Houses

The Municipality of Leamington’s 2018 Boarding House Study was updated by Dillion Consulting in 2020. The 2020 Update considers two types of housing, farm worker dwellings and boarding houses. The 2020 Update closely examined four specific approaches to addressing affordable housing opportunities in Leamington and housing needs for agricultural workers. The Update recommended implementing four approaches in an effort to balance the overall pressure for a variety of housing options in the Municipality, in a manner which meets health and safety expectations, ensures new development can be serviced efficiently and is compatible with the surrounding uses.

                                                         2018 Study                          2020 Study

Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment for Boarding Houses and Farm Worker Dwellings

Council approved amendments to the Official Plan and Zoning By-law 890-09 to establish policies and regulations related to Boarding Houses and Farm Worker Dwellings within the Municipality of Leamington at a virtual special meeting held on  April 29, 2021.  Official Plan Amendment No. 8 has since been approved by the County of Essex and is in force.  Zoning By-law Amendment #17-21 has been appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal by the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers and is, therefore, not in force.

Official Plan Amendment No. 8 and Zoning By-law Amendment #17-21, as approved, are available through the below links. 

Official Plan Amendment No. 8

Zoning By-law Amendment #17-21

Existing Dwellings used as Boarding Houses or Farm Worker Dwellings

On April 29, 2021, a Policy was approved by Council setting out the framework to deal with existing boarding houses and farm worker dwellings which existed contrary to Zoning By-law 890-09.  This Policy allows for existing boarding houses to continue to exist to April 29, 2022 and farm worker dwellings to continue to exist to December 31, 2022, as long as certain conditions are met, including the condition that the dwelling is retrofit to comply with the boarding house provisions of the Building Code and Fire Code to ensure the safety of the occupants.   

At its January 11, 2022 meeting, Council amended the Policy providing additional time (to March 15, 2022) to retrofit worker accommodations to comply with the boarding house provisions of the Building Code and Fire Code.  A copy of the Policy is available below:

Policy -  Approach to Existing Boarding Houses (Amended)

If you would like to continue to receive updates to the status of the proposed amendments please subscribe below to receive email updates. 

 

Contact(s)

© 2024 The Municipality of Leamington 111 Erie Street North, Leamington, Ontario N8H 2Z9

Phone: 519-326-5761
Fax: 519-326-2481
Email: General Information

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