The City applied to the HAF in 2023 and has begun working to advance our Action Plan initiatives (below). More information about each initiative will be made available in the coming months.
Timeline
| 2023 | |
| March | Housing Accelerator Fund launched by Federal Government |
| June | City Council directed Administration to submit HAF application with action plan |
| November | City Council passed motion directing Administration to amend HAF application increasing residential development permissions citywide and prepare bylaw amendments to support this change. |
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2024 |
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February |
City signs an agreement with the Federal government for $35.2 Million under the Housing Accelerator Fund. |
Regina’s HAF Action Plan
The City’s Action Plan outlines 11 initiatives that the City will undertake to increase housing development in the near and long term. The Action Plan prioritizes the development of additional housing in central and established neighbourhoods to support investment and revitalization and increase diverse housing options citywide to meet the needs of residents.
The 11 initiatives in the Action Plan include:
- Enable high-density housing development within the City Centre.
- Enable mid- and high-rise development along urban corridors and main transit routes.
- Advance the development of missing middle housing in central neighbourhoods.
- Support the provision of greater housing diversity in established neighbourhoods.
- Encourage conversion of non-residential buildings to residential (e.g., office conversions).
- Preserve and increase affordable housing in partnership with non-profit housing providers.
- Support pre-development work for housing projects, in particular affordable housing.
- Reduce Council approval for housing-related Discretionary Use applications.
- Create a process for the disposal of city-owned land for the development of affordable housing.
- Align infrastructure planning in the City Centre and central neighbourhoods.
- Update the Development Charges Model to support long-term housing growth.
Learn more about each action plan item in detail including why it's important and who it affects.
Questions and Answers
Expand each question below to learn more about the Housing Accelerator Fund.
What is the Housing Accelerator Fund?
The Federal government announced the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF), in the spring of 2023. The goal is to remove barriers and encourage local initiatives to build more homes faster. The program aims to help increase the housing supply and support the development of more affordable, diverse, and climate-resilient communities.
What are the requirements for participating in the Housing Accelerator Fund?
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) outlined 10 best practices for communities to consider when developing their program proposal. They are as follows:
- End exclusionary zoning.
- Make municipally owned lands available for housing.
- Increase process efficiency.
- Prioritize the development approval process for rental and affordable housing.
- Comprehensive review of development charges and fee schedules.
- Reduce or eliminate parking standards.
- Eliminate restrictions (i.e. height) to allow a greater variety in housing types.
- Develop affordable housing community improvement plans.
- Design and implement guidelines for pre-approved missing-middle plans.
- Develop grant programs to encourage the development of housing types that align with the Housing Accelerator Fund.
Applications that addressed these best practices were scored higher than those that did not.
Is the Housing Accelerator Fund just about affordable housing?
While affordable housing is part of many jurisdictions’ programs, so is market housing. To address the housing crisis, we need to build many more housing types for all economic segments of our community.
Why did we apply for it?
Regina, like most other cities in North America, is facing a housing crisis. Any additional funding to help address this community crisis is welcome.
What exactly is the Housing Crisis I keep hearing about?
Simply put, we don’t have enough homes to shelter our residents. This is due to several reasons. First, we haven’t been able to build enough homes to keep up with demand. Second, we don’t have enough housing variety to meet our citizens' diverse needs.
Why did we get the amount of funding we did?
Each community worked with CMHC to develop a plan to add a specific number of units to their community. In the case of Regina, the goal of 1,100 units was established. The funding amount is determined by the number of units in the goal. In our case, we were awarded $35,275,000.
How is our city going to spend its funds?
In our application, we were required to outline the initiatives we planned to implement to reach our goal of 1,100 additional units. Each initiative had an estimated dollar value assigned to it. We are currently examining the best way to allocate funds between the various initiatives.
Did we get all the funds at once?
Our agreement with CMHC has us receiving the funds over a four-year period. We have received our first advance of $8,818,750, which covers 2023/24. Our second advance will cover the year 2024/25, the third 2025/26 and the fourth and final will be for 2026/27. Each installment will be for the same amount as the first.
Could we see our funding reduced at any time during that period?
If we meet the objectives outlined in our agreement within the agreed-upon timeframe, we won’t risk having our funding reduced. We are required to report back to CHMC twice a year to ensure we are staying on track.
What can we spend our HAF funds on?
Here’s a list straight from our contract with CMHC on what we can spend our HAF funds on.
- Any initiative included in the Approved Action Plan
- Investments in affordable housing including:
- Construction of affordable housing
- Repair or modernization of affordable housing
- Land or building acquisition for affordable housing
- Investments in housing-related infrastructure including:
- Drinking water infrastructure that supports housing
- Wastewater infrastructure that supports housing
- Solid waste management that supports housing
- Public transit that supports housing
- Community energy systems that support housing
- Disaster mitigation that supports housing
- Brownfield redevelopment that supports housing
- Broadband and connectivity that supports housing
- Capacity building that supports housing
- Site preparation for housing developments
- Investments in community-related infrastructure that supports housing
- Local roads and bridges that support housing
- Sidewalks, lighting, and bicycle lanes that support housing
- Firehalls that support housing
- Landscaping and green spaces that support housing
How will we be spending our HAF funds?
While there will be a small percentage of the HAF funds that will go to the development and administration of the initiative programs, roughly 3%, the balance will be spread over the various programs and initiatives. The exact amounts are being determined as we prepare for the 2025 budget.
Who decides where the HAF funds get spent?
While various areas of the city administration will make recommendations regarding initiatives, programs, and amounts to be spent, ultimately, the City Council has the final say. Recommendations will be made to the City Council as part of the budget process, at which time they will evaluate them as to their alignment with the HAF agreement.
Who benefits from these initiatives and programs?
Ultimately, all citizens will benefit from our city’s participation in the HAF program. More homes built mean more housing options for everyone. Adding gentle density to many of our existing neighbourhoods will help ensure that your local businesses will continue to thrive and that new businesses find your neighbourhood more attractive for future growth.
I like my neighbourhood the way it is now. Why should I support the zoning changes that HAF is making?
Everyone has a special connection to their own neighbourhood. Especially if you are a long-time resident. But change is inevitable for all parts of our city. As our workplaces and home lives evolve, so must our neighbourhoods meet the needs of our current and future residents.
The zoning changes will allow for gentle density growth in our established neighbourhoods, supporting continued investment in infrastructure and public amenities. It will also support the ability to age in place and continue to enjoy your neighbourhood.
Will adding density decrease my property value?
Based on research and statistics from across North America, it is very unlikely your property values will go down. In fact, many neighbourhoods that have seen incremental growth in density have also experienced property values increase.
What is missing middle housing?
For many years, we built our cities with various housing types. Every neighbourhood had detached homes, duplexes, fourplexes, and even small apartment buildings. This allowed store clerks, schoolteachers, and business owners to live in the same neighbourhood without having to travel great distances to buy groceries or go to work. Missing middle types of buildings allow people of various incomes and family sizes to enjoy the benefits of a good neighbourhood.
What did the city agree to by signing onto the Housing Accelerator Fund?
Our agreement with CMHC promises action on 11 different initiatives. Learn more about our HAF Action Plan.
Sign Up For Email Updates
If you wish to receive updates about the City’s HAF initiatives, sign up below to receive email updates. Be sure you sign up and CONFIRM. Look in your junk or spam folder. Our confirmation email may be hiding there.
Glossary of Terms
You may come across words and acronyms or "planning lingo" when discussing planning and housing. Because we use it frequently in our day-to-day work, we sometimes forget that not everyone loves talking about TODs and Missing Middle Housing all the time. So, here’s a quick guide to some of the words and acronyms we might use when discussing the Housing Accelerator Fund.
| Term | Meaning |
| As of Right | Entitlement of the owner of the property to use or develop it, without recourse to a public hearing process or a vote of the municipal council, if the proposed use accords with the Zoning Bylaw. |
| Discretionary Use or DU | A use of land, building or other structure that may be permitted in a zone only at the discretion of and at a location specified by the City Council. |
| Duplex | A duplex is a house divided into two separate units for two different families or groups of people. |
| Fourplex | A fourplex is a multifamily home typically houses four families under one roof. The layout can be side by side or stacked on each other. Typically, they're a combination of both. |
| Missing Middle Housing | Missing Middle Housing is a range of house-scale buildings with multiple units—compatible in scale and form with detached single-family homes—located in a walkable neighbourhood. |
| Parking Minimums | Parking minimums are requirements, as dictated by a municipality's zoning ordinance, for all new developments to provide a set number of off-street parking spots at peak times. These minimums aim to cover the demand for parking generated by said development. |
| TOD | Transit-oriented development refers to integrated urban places that bring together people, activities, buildings, and public spaces, with easy walking and cycling connections and near-excellent transit service to the rest of the city. |
| Transit Hub | A transit hub is a property used for a mass transit station or stop and/or the interchange of multiple modes of transportation. |
| Transit Node | The transport node is the interaction of several components that serve as travel, neighbourhood, cargo, and traveler movement and arrange transport procedures. |
| Urban Corridors | They are generally mid-sized to large streets that connect surrounding neighbourhoods and other parts of the city. |