How most major Canadian cities being reshaped through zoning amendments

[Brandon P.]

The federal government in Canada has rolled out a program called the Housing Accelerator Fund to most larger cities across the country. While the fund was announced in 2021, the first city to be approved for funding was London, Ontario in September 2023. Over the past two months, many other cities have been approved for funding, primarily in Ontario.

The program provides cities with millions of dollars in funding in exchange for zoning bylaw amendments. The intent of the bylaw amendments is to increase density in existing neighborhoods and reduce red tape for developers. For the cities that have implemented the amendments, this has resulted in changes where neighborhoods that were only zoned for single-family homes can now have fourplexes or townhomes built, and it is significantly reducing red tape around the parameters of where larger multi-family buildings can be developed.

While the changes will provide ample opportunities for developers, existing residents in the neighborhoods may bear the burden of the ongoing construction and increasing population once the units are built and rented out. Apartments will be built on greenspace that was recently undevelopable, and older homes will be demolished and replaced by fourplexes and townhomes.

The Housing Accelerator Fund is a promising initiative that aims to increase housing supply for investors. It will absolutely re-shape most major Canadian cities and will permanently alter the neighborhoods that have been untouched for decades.

Regina City Council Bylaw Amendments

[Theresa Harris]

There is still lots of red tape at the municipal level.  Parking is going to be one of the biggest issues.  Where I am (city of 100K), even with only a few basement suites, the residential homes often have 2-4 cars for each.  A fair number don't park in their garages because it is full of crap or in their driveways and they park on the roads making it harder to drive down them-especially when kids are out. Cities also add alley access (and no one parks in the back) making the streets even narrower.  Some areas, you can only get one lane of traffic through due to the narrow roads and cars parked on both sides.  Lots of smaller, older home were likely to be torn down in big cities so buyers can build larger infills.

With Trudeau and his government allowing 5 million+ immigrants in over the last 5-7 years (which is not sustainable), our population has grown too quickly and it has created problems.  A countries population can't grow by 10% in 5 years and not experience problems, especially a country that has a smaller population size like we do.