Previously:
Federal plan: London, Calgary, GST on new rental housing
Housing Accelerator update, weeks 2-4: Halifax, Mississauga, Vaughan
Week 5: Hamilton, Mississauga, Halifax, Metro Vancouver
Week 6: Quebec, Kitchener, Guelph, Burlington, Ajax, Mississauga
Week 7: Mississauga, Brampton, Ajax, Moncton, Richmond Hill, Kelowna, Metro Vancouver, Edmonton
Week 8: Metro Vancouver, Waterloo, Charlottetown, Winnipeg
Week 9: Kitchener, Quebec
Week 10: Calgary, Winnipeg, Moncton
Week 11: Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg
Week 12: Richmond Hill, Toronto, Oakville
Week 14: Windsor, Toronto, Vancouver
Agreement with Mississauga
After an initial vote to allow four-plexes across Mississauga failed on a 5-5 tie vote in September, Bonnie Crombie used her strong-mayor powers to move forward with the initiative.
Last Monday (December 18), local MPs and Bonnie Crombie announced a Housing Accelerator agreement with Mississauga: $112.9M for 3000 homes over the next three years, and 35,000 homes over the next 10 years. $113M would pay for about 226 homes at $500K each, so 3000 homes is more than 12X as cost-effective, and 35,000 homes is more than 150X as cost-effective.
Helping build more homes, faster in Mississauga. CMHC press release.
Mississauga to receive $112.9 million in federal funding to help build more homes faster. City of Mississauga press release.
Mississauga Reaches $113M HAF Deal Following Approval Of Fourplexes. Zoe Demarco, Storeys.
Feds promise Mississauga nearly $113M to build 3,000 new homes. Tyson Lautenschlager, CBC.
Feds hand Mississauga $113M reward for allowing fourplexes. Isaac Callan, Global News.
Agreement with Burnaby
Back in September, Metro Vancouver’s planned DCC increases caused Sean Fraser to postpone Housing Accelerator agreements with Burnaby and Surrey. But after BC passed legislation requiring four-plexes to be allowed across the province, with more density close to rapid transit and major bus exchanges, the standoff has been resolved. Simon Little, Global News: Ottawa, Metro Vancouver breach impasse over housing cash.
Last Tuesday, Terry Beech and Mike Hurley announced that Burnaby will receive $43.4M for 1290 homes over three years (15X as cost-effective as building 87 homes at $500K each), and more than 11,000 homes over 10 years (130X as cost-effective).
Feds give Burnaby $43M to fast-track housing. Lauren Vanderdeen, Burnaby Now.
"We were worried that [the increased Metro Vancouver charges on new housing] might offset the business case for getting more housing built," Beech said.
But he said "a couple things happened" since the initial plan announcement in Ottawa in September and the announcement Tuesday.
First, he said there was "a dialogue" between Metro Vancouver and Housing Minister Fraser.
Second was the "significant" provincial announcements that Beech said would help cities offer more housing.
"The Housing Accelerator Fund was always built to reward good behaviour. And the reasons that Surrey and Burnaby were No. 1 and No. 2 on the list for announcements in British Columbia, it was because they did some of our best (building) in the province."
Helping build more homes, faster in Burnaby. CMHC press release.
$43 million in new federal housing funding announced for City of Burnaby. Kenneth Chan, Daily Hive.
Burnaby Receives $43M From Federal Housing Accelerator Fund After DCC Standoff. Howard Chai, Storeys.
Agreement with Winnipeg
In November, Winnipeg city council voted to go ahead with allowing four-plexes across the city, and four storeys within a 10-minute walk (800 metres) of frequent transit corridors.
Last Wednesday, local MPs and Scott GIllingham announced that Winnipeg will be receiving $122M for 3100 additional homes over three years (12X as cost-effective as building 244 homes at $500K each), and more than 30,000 homes over 10 years (120X as cost-effective).
Helping build more homes, faster in Winnipeg. CMHC press release.
Government of Canada and City of Winnipeg reach agreement on $122 million for new housing as part of Housing Accelerator Fund. City of Winnipeg press release.
Winnipeg, feds agree to fast-track hundreds of housing units. Kurt Black, CityNews.
Winnipeg getting $122M from federal fund to fast-track housing, less than $192M ask. Cameron MacLean, CBC.
More housing coming with Winnipeg’s cash injection, but will it be affordable? Daisy Woelk, Global News.
Agreement with Toronto
Last Friday, Justin Trudeau, Sean Fraser, and Olivia Chow announced that the city of Toronto will be receiving $471M for nearly 12,000 more homes over the next three years (12X as cost-effective as building 1000 homes at $500K each) and 53,000 over 10 years (50X as cost-effective).
Toronto Reaches Landmark $471M Housing Accelerator Fund Agreement. Zoe Demarco, Storeys.
Fraser told STOREYS Toronto's application came together in a "very unique way" compared with other cities that have received HAF funding.
Toronto's initial application to the program "simply did not meet the level of ambition" that Fraser had for the HAF, and he intended to reach out to Mayor Olivia Chow following her election in June. However, she beat him to the punch.
"She actually submitted, on her own prerogative and in collaboration with the City, a revised proposal that was significantly more ambitious," Fraser said, noting that there were still several areas where he still wanted to push the City a bit further, such as zoning around public transit.
Removing barriers to build more homes, faster in Toronto, Ontario. Press release from the prime minister’s office.
City of Toronto receives $471 million from the Government of Canada to create 11,780 new homes in Toronto. City of Toronto press release.
Toronto will get nearly half a billion dollars in federal funding for housing. Oliver Moore and Jeff Gray, Globe and Mail.
Toronto to get $471M in federal cash as part of new housing deal. Lane Harrison, CBC.
Federal government to give $471 million to Toronto in housing deal. Canadian Press.