Service Burlington is responsible for the registration and renewal of group homes in the City of Burlington. A number of requirements must be met before a group home can be registered.
Registration and renewal
Review the requirements and fees for applying to register a group home or renew your group home registration.
When your application is reviewed and accepted, you will receive a letter confirming your registration and the home will be noted in the City's database. Group home registrations need to be renewed annually.
Registration requirements
To register your group home, you will have to submit:
- The Group Home Registration Application
- A Zoning Clearance Certificate
- A Building Permit
- A Certificate of Compliance from the Fire Department
- Written notification from the appropriate Ministry that the Group Home Application has been approved
Fees
The Application for a Group Home fee is $255. Please contact Zoning for a current schedule of fees for the Zoning Certificate fee.
Renewal requirements
To renew your group home registration, you will have to submit:
- The Group Home Renewal Application
- Written notification from the appropriate Ministry that the Group Home continues to be licensed and funded
Fees
The Group Home Renewal fee is $51.
Public information meeting
You must host a public information meeting prior to occupancy of the group home. Before the meeting, you need to give notice to residents within 120 m of the group home property. The City will help distribute notices of the meeting to the community, at a cost to the group home. We encourage you to host the meeting in the group home. This gives neighbours a first-hand look at the home and how it will operate. If you cannot hold the public information meeting in the group home, then it may be helpful to hold an additional open house after the home is occupied. This allows the neighbours to meet your staff and residents.
Group homes and correctional group homes
Group homes are a single residential unit supervised by staff on a daily basis which provides special care for people with disabilities.
Correctional group homes are for people who have been placed on probation, released on parole or admitted for correctional purposes.
Both accommodate six to eight residents, not including staff, within the Urban Improvement Area boundary. Outside the Urban Improvement Area boundary, the maximum number of residents permitted is ten, not including staff. Both are funded, licensed, approved and supervised by the Province of Ontario. All references to group homes in the applicable bylaws include correctional group homes.
Neighbourhood relationships and safety
There is often stigma around group homes and their occupants. Group homes are sometimes seen to have short-term occupants with no interest in the community. You can help dispel this harmful stereotype by:
- Holding an open house and introducing yourself and occupants to neighbours
- Maintaining open communication and transparency with neighbours
- Keeping your ward Councillor informed so they can answer any questions from neighbours
- Maintaining your property to show care and respect for the neighbourhood
There is also stigma around the safety of group homes. Occupants may be perceived as dangerous if, for example, people see police dropping them off in handcuffs or hear outbursts of anger of coarse language. Avoiding these types of situations or speaking directly to neighbours about incidents and how they are being handled can help your relationship with them.
Permitted locations
Group homes are permitted:
- In a dwelling unit
- In an apartment building over three storeys, with a limitation of one group home per 30 units and one group home per floor
- Minimum distance between a Group Home or a Correctional Group Home and another Group Home or Correctional group home property: 400 metres
Group home bylaws
Bylaws governing the operation of group homes include: