Winnipeg approves bylaws to help speed up development

Winnipeg City Hall is pictured in December 2024. (File Image)

Winnipeg city councillors have given the go-ahead for some housing accelerator fund bylaws that will help to speed up development and increase the availability of affordable units.

Under the new rules, multi-family residential developments can be built at select malls and corridor sites.

The new bylaws also mean developers don’t have to hold public hearings for a project as long as it follows certain design and development rules. However, developers still need to obtain necessary permits.

These changes are being made to modernize Winnipeg’s zoning rules, increase density near transit and transportation routes, and promote the construction of more housing, including affordable housing units.

According to the city, these initiatives are made possible through the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) – a national housing program launched by the federal government through the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

With the $122.4 million in HAF funding, Winnipeg is required to create 14,101 housing units over a three-year span.