City of Toronto Launches AI Pre-Check with Clariti to Speed Up Housing Approvals

Toronto is the latest city to pilot Clariti's Guided AI plan Review, which cut time to permit decision 55% for residential permits in Honolulu in the first quarter of 2026

VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The City of Toronto today launched Building Permit Application Pre-Check, leveraging CivCheck, Clariti's Guided AI Plan Review platform to improve the speed, clarity, and consistency of its building permitting process. Starting with residential projects, applicants will now receive real-time feedback on missing documents, incomplete information, and certain zoning and Ontario Building Code issues within the pilot's scope, with a citation to the requirement behind each finding, so they can address or explain flagged items and submit stronger applications.

Toronto is working to meet or exceed a provincial target of 285,000 new homes by 2031, alongside approving 65,000 rent-controlled homes by 2030 through the HousingTO Action Plan. Permitting is one of the few levers a city controls directly on that timeline. Incomplete applications are among the most common causes of delay, and every round of corrections adds weeks that projects and applicants absorb. The CivCheck pilot is part of the City's broader effort to speed up development and permitting approvals to meet that commitment.

"Toronto is tackling a housing affordability crisis head-on, and permitting is one of the levers cities can pull right now," said Cyrus Symoom, CEO of Clariti. "CivCheck shows applicants where their application stands before they ever submit. That means fewer correction cycles, faster reviews, and staff who can focus their expertise where it matters most. Cleaner applications are how a city turns a housing target into homes."

CivCheck flags missing documents, incomplete information, and code and zoning issues, then explains what to address and points to the requirement behind it. Applicants can resolve or explain those items before they submit, entering the queue review-ready, reducing correction cycles and resubmissions.

City staff make every decision on building permit applications and CivCheck generates the guidance. City reviewers continue to review every application, validating or overriding findings as part of their normal review. CivCheck does not approve, refuse, or delay any permit. Use of the tool is voluntary and does not change the City's formal application or review requirements. The pilot aligns with the City's Digital Infrastructure Strategic Framework and its commitment to using AI responsibly and transparently to improve public services.

Toronto's pilot adds to a growing wave of cities using AI to speed up permitting. In Honolulu, applicants using CivCheck have saved more than 40 days per permit on average, with residential permits reaching decisions 55% faster than non-CivCheck applications. Denver recently selected Clariti's Guided AI Plan Review solution to improve its own permitting process, and the company also launched AI Studio, which gives local government teams direct access to Clariti's expertise in applying AI across permitting workflows. Clariti was also recognized by the Center for Public Sector AI's AI 50 program as a leading company driving AI innovation across the public sector.

Applicants can learn more about eligibility and access the Building Permit Application Pre-Check at toronto.ca/PreCheck.

About Clariti
Clariti is a leading provider of community development solutions that help local governments modernize permitting operations, simplify staff workflows, strengthen compliance, and deliver faster, more consistent permit outcomes. CivCheck is Clariti's Guided AI Plan Review™ solution, designed to streamline plan review. It helps applicants submit more complete applications and equips city reviewers with structured, rule-based compliance checks, improving efficiency while preserving professional oversight and final decision authority.

For more information, visit claritisoftware.com.

SOURCE Clariti