Ontario needs more homes. There is little doubt about that. But more importantly, it needs a steadier way to deliver them.
At the present rate of building, we are nowhere near reaching the targets set by the Ontario and federal governments.
However, recent planning policy changes may be of some help, as they have opened the door to small multi-unit housing on residential lots across several municipalities in the GTA and beyond.
The shift could be meaningful, as it makes as-of-rights path for three-to-six-unit buildings more feasible than it has been in 100 years. The challenge now is operational, not ideological.
The key is to turn what’s allowed on paper into projects that reach occupancy, at a fast-enough pace to move the needle.
Large, master-planned developments and high-rise projects are still needed and will remain essential. But they are complex to finance, slow to start, and sensitive to the cycles of the market.
On the other hand, smaller, multiplex projects with typically three to six units within existing neighborhoods, operate differently. They rely on familiar envelopes and well-understood systems. Offsite suppliers can standardize components and concentrate attention where context varies.
Multiplex Could Be the Answer
If Ontario wants near-term housing delivery without trading away quality or local character, multiplex could be the answer. A smarter, standardized approach can deliver multiplex housing at scale and enable consistent delivery.
There are good tools available to make this happen. A GIS-led screening step, supported by PropTech solutions like LandLogic can bring zoning insights, parcel geometry and servicing into focus so design and engineering teams can decide quickly whether a lot is viable or doesn’t fit the bill.
This front-loads predictability, reduces false starts and frames early conversations with municipal staff and neighbours around facts rather than hunches.
Beyond planning and zoning review, delivery also depends on early financial modeling. Before design begins, property owners and advisors should assess how different forms of multiplex – triplex, fourplex, or sixplex – perform under realistic rents, costs and interest rates.
Many property owners sit on underused parcels where a single bungalow or detached home could support multiple rental units with better long-term yield. Early financial analysis can reveal when that conversion makes sense and how to structure it sustainably.
New refinancing drivers such as CMHC’s MLI Select program are changing this calculus. By rewarding energy efficiency, accessibility and affordability with longer amortizations and higher loan-to-value ratios, these programs make it feasible for small developers and homeowners to think long-term.
What once required deep-pocketed investors can now be financed through standard lenders, provided the project meets measurable performance goals. When paired with professional design, this kind of financing can unlock thousands of small but meaningful projects across Ontario’s existing neighbourhoods.
Standardized Templates Can Be Used
Design must also be treated as a configurable product. With Building Information Modelling at the core, standardized design templates can be used while preserving room for professional judgment where sites differ.
Co-ordinated architectural, structural and 3D representations of a building’s mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems enable problems to be resolved early, and basic modeling ensures time schedules are kept and costs are aligned with scope. The outcome is fewer bylaw variances, more comparable pricing, and higher first-pass approvals.
Multiplexes must also be built in ways that reward repetition. Many such projects are suitable for panelized or modular assemblies such as cold-formed steel, structural insulated panels or hybrid systems that move labour offsite and reduce exposure of the structure to the elements.
Where conventional framing is the better fit, a standard sequence and detail set still shortens timelines and smoothes inspections. The point is not to have a single construction ideology; it is choosing methods that convert developments at larger volume across cities and towns.
Rules Must Be Legible
For all this to happen, the rules for multiplex projects must be legible. Digitizing provisions for multiplex and additional residential units and aligning them with a standard submission package reduces interpretation risk for applicants and reviewers. It doesn’t replace judgment; it provides a shared structure for it.
A collective step toward smarter housing delivery can make multiplex developments work. We have the available land and a growing ecosystem of planners, designers and builders who are ready to act. What’s missing is a framework to make the process repeatable.
A standardized and data-driven approach to multiplex delivery can change that, turning a standardized process, rooted in data, design quality, and collaboration, to generate opportunities without overwhelming communities or compromising design integrity.
Such an approach would strengthen the housing ecosystem. While tackling Ontario’s housing crisis will not come from one project or policy, we need to remove barriers and focus on housing forms that can be delivered consistently and at scale.