Housing Accelerator Fund

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The Housing Accelerator Fund is a federal government program designed to help local governments create transformational change that will increase housing supply.

The City of Edmonton has been awarded $175 million to implement its Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) Action Plan between 2024 and 2026.

The HAF Action Plan will help the City deliver more than 5,200 new homes over-and-above what would typically be expected. A total of 35,000 new homes will be permitted across Edmonton by 2026.

Note: Individuals and businesses cannot apply directly for the Housing Accelerator Fund.

Action Plan

New homes incentivized through the HAF Action Plan will be a mix of multi-unit housing, transit-oriented, missing middle and non-market affordable housing.

Breaking Down Barriers To Infill Development

Incentivizing Development in Priority Growth Areas and Near Mass Transit

The City Plan identifies Priority Growth Areas, which are the nodes and corridors (urban centres and main streets) in Edmonton’s redeveloping area (roughly inside the Anthony Henday) expected to see the most near-term growth. Both The City Plan and District Plans encourage development intensification in these areas and around mass transit - like an LRT stop - to support Edmonton’s growth management goals.

Why does it matter?

By focusing on Priority Growth Areas, the City can coordinate its resources and leverage existing and planned transit to help create a healthy urban, climate-resilient city where residents have access to a variety of housing and transportation options and can meet their daily needs close to home.

How will Housing Accelerator Fund help?

One barrier to residential infill development is the initial cost to design and install off site infrastructure, such as water, wastewater and storm systems, electrical distribution systems and street lighting, and mobility improvements like sidewalks, alleys and traffic lights. This is particularly true in cases where the infrastructure built by one developer benefits multiple parcels, because the first developer bears the full cost.

Through a HAF-funded program, the City will help offset infrastructure costs in the short-term for residential and mixed use development in Priority Growth Areas, within 800 metres of mass transit in the redeveloping area, or non-market affordable housing projects in the redeveloping area.

The City will also create a plan for how it can use HAF funds to prioritize the development of non-market affordable housing in Priority Growth Areas.

Milestones

Infill infrastructure fund

Launches Quarter 3 2024 (further details on the application process, including eligibility criteria, will be available at that time)

Priority Growth Area Rezonings

Public Engagement: Summer/Fall 2024
Public Hearing: 2025

Affordable Housing Land Acquisition Framework: 2025

Promotion Of Secondary Suites And Backyard Housing

The City allows a diverse range of housing options beyond secondary suites in a primary dwelling. Backyard housing, formerly known as garden suites, allows single or multi-unit development in the backyard of single-detached, semi-detached, or row houses.

Why does it matter?

Secondary suites and backyard housing add flexibility to our neighbourhoods. By including smaller, lower maintenance and more affordable living options in our communities, older residents can downsize while staying in the neighbourhoods they love, younger residents can find housing that fits their budget, and families can enjoy the benefits of multi-generational living or rental income.

How will the Housing Accelerator Fund help?

The City will update its development guides on secondary suites and backyard housing to align with the new Zoning bylaw and any regulatory changes. HAF funding will support a promotional campaign to raise awareness among residents and developers of the opportunity to add this type of housing to their properties in conjunction with expected new financing opportunities from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

Milestones

Update materials: 2024

Promotional campaign: 2025

District Energy Infrastructure Rebate

Renewable District Energy Systems are a key component of Edmonton’s Community Energy Transition Strategy. In the Blatchford community, a City of Edmonton utility is currently providing renewable heating, cooling and hot water energy services to homes through the use of an innovative District Energy Sharing System.

Why does it matter?

As Edmonton gets ready to welcome its next million residents, Blatchford will be critical to reaching the City’s goal of 50% growth through infill development. Blatchford is leading the way in climate resilience, prioritizing housing density, active modes of transportation, low-impact design and renewable energy.

How will the Housing Accelerator Fund help?

The City will use HAF funding to encourage multi-unit housing development in Blatchford by providing rebates for District Energy Sharing System infrastructure and connection fees. The funding will be available for land that’s designated for multi-unit housing, focusing on low to medium density residential apartments/condo buildings.

Milestones

District Energy Infrastructure Rebate Program

Launches Fall 2024

Zoning Bylaw Renewal

Edmonton’s Zoning Bylaw is the primary regulatory tool required to implement The City Plan and determines what can be built where. It sets the rules for:

Where new buildings should go
The type of buildings they can be
Type of businesses and activities that are allowed

Why does it matter?

Edmonton is leading the way among Canadian cities by allowing up to 8 units as of right city-wide. This transformative change allows for gentle density throughout the city’s redeveloping areas and is fundamental to meeting HAF targets related to missing middle and multi-unit housing.

Milestones

Finalize Draft Bylaw: Complete

Adopt New Zoning Bylaw: Complete

Implementation: Complete

The updated Zoning Bylaw was approved by City Council in October 2023 and came into effect on January 1, 2024.

Saving Time and Money

Streamlined Permitting

The City will embrace cutting-edge technology to modernize the permit process, improving efficiency and enhancing the overall experience for developers and residents.

Bringing Greater Transparency and Lowering Development Costs For Infill

The City will modernize infill fire flow requirements to help avoid costly infrastructure upgrades.

Gradual Reduction Of The Multi-Unit Tax Subclass

The City will implement a phased reduction of the multi-unit tax subclass to create a more equitable tax structure, fostering an environment that encourages the development of diverse housing options.

Supporting Affordable Housing Development

Development Of City-owned Land

The City will expedite the development of surplus land, unlocking its potential for housing and infrastructure projects that contribute to the city's growth and community well-being.

Deferral or Exemption of Sanitary Sewer Charges for Affordable Housing

Easing financial burdens on affordable housing initiatives by deferring or exempting sanitary sewer charges, fostering an environment where such projects can thrive and contribute to the city's housing diversity.

Capacity-Building for Affordable Housing Providers

The City will support and empower its partners in affordable housing development by sharing expertise and resources.

Prioritizing Affordable Housing

The City will create an administrative standard to give precedence to affordable housing development applications and invest in initiatives to support the development of more affordable housing.

How Can Edmontonians Access HAF Funds?

The Housing Accelerator Fund is a federal government program designed to help local governments create transformational change that will increase housing supply. Individuals and businesses cannot apply directly for the Housing Accelerator Fund.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) allocated $175 million to the City of Edmonton based on the number of units expected to be created through its HAF Action Plan. The implementation of some actions will provide opportunities for project funding. For example, grants will be available to affordable housing developers selected through a competitive process to develop the surplus school sites.

What Can HAF Funds Be Spent On?

The City’s contract with CMHC outlines how HAF funding can be spent. That includes:

Any initiative included in the City’s HAF Action Plan

The City’s HAF Action Plan includes:

Zoning Bylaw Renewal
Priority Growth Areas and Transit-Oriented Development
Surplus School Site Development
Streamlined Permitting
Prioritizing Affordable Housing
Deferral of the Sanitary Sewer Trunk Charge for New Affordable Housing
Bringing Greater Transparency and Lowering Development Costs for Infill
Gradual Reduction of the Multi-Unit Tax Subclass
District Energy Infrastructure Rebate
Affordable Housing Capacity Building Resources
Promotion of Secondary Suites and Backyard Housing

Investments in affordable housing

Includes:

Construction of housing
Repair or modernization of housing
Land or building acquisition for housing

Investments in infrastructure that supports housing

Includes:

Drinking water infrastructure
Wastewater infrastructure
Solid waste management
Public transit
Community energy systems
Disaster mitigation
Brownfield redevelopment
Broadband and connectivity
Capacity building
Site preparation for housing developments

Investments in community-related infrastructure that supports housing

Includes:

Local roads and bridges
Sidewalks, lighting and bicycle lanes
Firehalls
Landscaping and green spaces

How is the City spending its HAF Funds?

The City will receive $175 million in HAF funding in 4 payments between 2024 and 2026.

The City is investing that money in different ways, including:

Buying and servicing land to make it shovel ready for affordable housing providers
Providing capital grants to affordable housing developers
Covering the cost of infrastructure in priority growth areas
Providing rebates for some development fees
Purchasing technology and dedicating human resources to create better systems at the City
Promoting a diversity of housing types

An initial breakdown of the planned spending was presented to Council during the Spring 2024 Supplemental Capital Budget Adjustment.

The allocations may change over the course of the funding term to ensure that the HAF targets can be met.

Breakdown of Planned Expenditure

Infrastructure investments in Priority Growth Areas	$39 million
Surplus school site development for affordable housing	$99 million
Using new technology to streamline permitting approvals	$3.4 million
Land, grants and resources for affordable housing development	$19 million
New processes and software to prioritize affordable housing development applications	$200,000
Rebates for connections to District Energy Infrastructure for multi-unit housing developments in Blatchford	$6 million
Deferring the cost of sanitary sewer trunk charges for affordable housing	$2.4 million
Creating an online tool to assess fire flow capacity	$600,000
Campaign to promote secondary suites and backyard housing	$1.1 million
Administrative costs	$4.5 million

What are the HAF Targets?

The City of Edmonton’s funding agreement with CMHC sets out targets for residential building permits that must be achieved by November 2026 in order to receive the full $175 million funding allocation.

In its HAF application, the City projected that it would approve building permit applications for about 10,000 housing units each year, for a total of more than 30,000 units over 3 years.

The Action Plan was designed to incentivize an additional 5,236 building permits over-and-above those projections. The action plan is also designed to incentivize certain types of housing and the City must also meet housing type sub-targets (sub-targets are mutually exclusive).

The targets are:
Total: 35,443, including:

Over-and-above business-as-usual projections	5,236
Transit-oriented development	6,907
‘Missing Middle’	7,741
Multi-unit housing	8,520

The action plan must also result in 1,940 new non-market affordable housing units.

How Will this Help Edmontonians?

Edmonton is growing and so is our need for housing. Right now, 1 out of every 4 renter households in Edmonton struggles to cover housing costs, or lives in crowded or unsafe homes and can’t afford to move. The need will continue to grow - and we need to be ready to meet it.

As we grow toward a city of 2 million people, an adequate housing supply will be critical to maintaining Edmonton’s:

Affordability
Quality of life
Competitive advantage

The City’s HAF Action Plan will help deliver more new homes and more housing options for current and future Edmontonians.

View Housing Accelerator Fund Glossary

Contact Us

Email	affordablehousing@edmonton.ca