Feds, City of Regina reach agreement to build 1,000 homes over three years

The federal and municipal governments have constructed a deal that they hope will result in the building of 1,000 homes over the next three years.

In a media release, the governments announced they had reached an agreement to “fast track” the construction of the homes. The goal is to see more than 3,000 homes built over the next decade.

The release said the Housing Accelerator Fund will provide more than $35 million to the city’s project.

“Regina’s Action Plan commits to 11 local initiatives, including zoning changes to allow four units as-of-right per residential lot, promoting more medium-density, duplex and multi-family homes such as townhouses and multiplexes, allowing greater density along urban corridors by increasing the height limit for buildings, and ensuring that different kinds of homes can be built in established single-family neighbourhoods,” the release said.

Regina applied to the fund last June with an action plan calling for the creation of 1,100 new housing units by the end of 2026.

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As part of the new deal, the city also is to come up with funding to help with the redevelopment of underused sites and to help build more houses in partnership with non-profit housing groups.

As well, the city is to support the conversion of non-residential buildings into housing, create a process to let municipally owned land to be used for housing, and shorten the approval process for developments.

“The City of Regina appreciates the Government of Canada for developing and delivering the Housing Accelerator Fund initiative to assist municipalities in transforming their policies and processes to get housing projects to market faster,” Mayor Sandra Masters said in the release.

“Innovation and transformation require investment that is sometimes beyond the means of the day-to-day operations of a city. We are committed to removing barriers to housing development, streamlining our zoning and permitting approval processes, and allowing for greater housing diversity and density to meet the evolving needs of our community.”

The Housing Accelerator Fund, which was launched in March of 2023, is a $4-billion initiative from the Government of Canada that’s to run until 2026-27. It invites local governments to develop action plans to address housing in their communities.

Once the plans are approved, the fund provides funding to help the cities build the new homes.

“By working with cities, mayors, and all levels of government, we are helping to get more homes built for Canadians at prices they can afford,” Sean Fraser, the federal minister of housing, infrastructure and communities, said in the release.

As of Sept. 30 of last year, the federal government had committed more than $38.9 billion to support the building of almost 152,000 units and the repair of more than 241,000 units across the country.

Regina Mayor Sandra Masters and Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Sean Fraser at the housing announcement on Friday. (City of Regina/Submitted)