With councillors having voted overwhelmingly in favour of amendments to zoning in the city, Winnipeg has now opened its doors to multi-million-dollar federal funding.
Nearly $200 million from the Canada Housing Accelerator Fund would go to the city, the funds having been unlocked following amendment approvals that include the ability to construct four units on a single residential lot and the construction of four-storey buildings near frequently used transit routes.
The amendment was voted in by city council on Thursday, with 13 councillors voting yes and three on the other side.
Changes would further allow the adoption of more density-focused zoning requirements around malls.
Lanny McInnes, president of the Manitoba Home Builders’ Association, said the organization worked with the city to put together the application for federal funding. He added that the accelerator fund application noted federal requirements that the city has now voted to implement.
He says this move updates Winnipeg’s zoning bylaws to match planning documents and incorporate what the federal government wants to see done.
“By amending the zoning bylaw, making it match our own planning documents and incorporating what the federal government has asked, it’s going to provide greater certainty for where you can build these types of housing units,” McInnes said. “We’re happy to be part of that dialogue and we’re glad that (it’s) going to be moving forward. It’s an important thing for the city to help encourage more housing being built where it needs to be built.”
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McInnes said the funding from Ottawa will improve access to affordable housing. And while there are valid concerns raised by the public and some councillors, he said, the changes to zoning bylaws won’t just mean buildings will pop up everywhere.
“There’s going to be restrictions in terms of where and how you can build four-storey fourplexes. At the end of the day, it’s got to make sense,” McInnes said.
Speaking to 680 CJOB, Coun. Janice Lukes said the council’s vote was not on any approvals for new bylaws, and that while there are concerns others might have, the main priority is to secure funding.
“There’s going to be all kinds of parameters around what will be built and where it will be built. There’s a lot of details like that to work out,” Lukes said. “We’re going to have a year, a year-and-a-half to work that out.”
Lukes also said this is an opportunity for the city to direct housing resources to where the city really needs them.
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