Heritage homes: incentives, grants, and other resources

 A panel of Heritage planners from Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge reviewed the incentives and other programs available for designated heritage properties.

Kitchener

The City of Kitchener provides heritage funding through their designated heritage property grant program ( 50% of eligible conservation work up to a maximum of $3,000) and a heritage tax refund program (eligible properties may receive up to a 40% refund of the taxes for municipal and school purposes).

Waterloo

While the City of Waterloo does not currently provide any heritage funding, (a Heritage Strategy is currently underway) we suggest that you check the Municipal Heritage Register to determine which properties are listed or designated before buying a property. Properties can be designated for architectural, historic or contextual reasons. Because of this, designated properties aren’t always obvious. Be aware of “Listed”, non-designated properties. Property owners seeking redevelopment opportunities should be aware of those properties that are listed as the list can have implications for demolition and redevelopment.

Be aware that alterations to the designated property will require a heritage permit. This doesn’t mean that changes can’t be made, but rather that there is a process in place to review proposed changes to ensure they conserve heritage features. Details can be found online or by calling heritage staff.