Millions of dollars could end up in Winnipeg’s spending pot to address imminent housing needs. The move to get there? Zoning changes.
Since city council approved the city’s application to parliament’s Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) in July, the federal government has tacked on some extra requirements to qualify.
Winnipeg said the application initially outlined strategies for modernizing zoning rules, bringing more people close to major transit and transportation routes, and incentivizing towards building more housing, with a focus on affordable housing and projects to help the homeless.
Now, Winnipeg said it needs to:
- Be able to build four-plexes on any lot in the city;
- Allow for up to four-storey buildings within 800 metres of frequent transit routes;
- Adopt more density-focused zoning requirements on the sites of malls, like a proposal already in the works at Polo Park.
A release sent out by the city said Mayor Scott Gillingham “already committed to deliver aggressive mid-rise apartment zoning changes similar to the third requirement in his 2022 election platform.”
Gillingham says the Housing Accelerator Fund is critical to addressing Winnipeg’s homelessness crisis.
“We have laid out a bold plan that would create more than 15,000 new homes in Winnipeg over the next 10 years, but we need the funds to bring it to life,” he said.
The city said Gillingham will lead discussions around zoning changes required to qualify for funding, and will bring a motion to the next Executive Policy Committee meeting to advance these changes to a full council debate.
Winnipeg said other Canadian cities have made similar changes in response to the new requirements, including: Kelowna, Calgary, London, Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph, Mississauga, Brampton, Richmond Hill, Moncton and Halifax.