Housing Dashboard

New residential development in parts of the Downtown Oshawa Urban Growth Centre (U.G.C.) are not required to pay City Development Charges (D.C.s) and parkland dedication fees. Visit out Development Charges webpage to view the Parkland Dedication By-law 63-2022 for details.

In September 2024, City Council approved changes to the zoning rules and the Oshawa Official Plan to allow taller buildings and more homes in the Downtown Oshawa Area. This means the area can now have up to 1,000 homes per hectare, compared to 555 before. These changes can help encourage growth and lower housing costs by reducing the need for rezoning applications and minor variances. Read Report ED-24-91 to learn more.

In December 2024, the City of Oshawa launched a new online Application Portal that streamlines the approvals process and makes it easier for applicants to submit, manage and track the status of their development and building permit applications. 

The City is finishing a study for Central Oshawa to plan for land use and transportation around the future Central Oshawa GO Station. The study focuses on creating complete communities with different types of housing that support public transit and active transportation (cycling, walking, etc.).

As part of the study, the maximum building heights and residential densities will be increased, to allow for more people and jobs surrounding the future GO Station, and to better connect the GO Station with Downtown Oshawa. 

Learn more about the Integrated Major Transit Station Area Study

Accessory apartments, also known as additional dwelling units (A.D.U.s), are self-contained dwelling units that are accessory to a main or principal dwelling unit. Accessory apartments help increase the inventory of rental housing in Oshawa.

In May 2023, City Council adopted new regulations to expand permissions for accessory apartments. 

Each year, City Council approves changes to the Oshawa Official Plan and Zoning By-law 60-94 to make policies and regulations easier to understand, keep them up to date with new trends, address problems, and speed up the development process by reducing the need for extra planning applications.

Planning Services regularly looks for ways to improve the Oshawa Official Plan and Zoning By-law, so there may be one or more changes each year.