Achi news desk-
As Calgary continues to battle a housing crisis, the province is rolling out changes it says will help.
Changes within Bill 20 and to the city charters will provide property tax exemptions for non-profit housing providers and streamline building standards across Alberta by eliminating a municipality’s ability to require energy efficiency standards.
Ministers say it’s a boon for municipalities everywhere:
“It’s no surprise that affordable and accessible housing has become one of the most urgent concerns across Canada,” said Minister of Municipal Affairs Ric McIver.
“We want to make sure we’re working with our partners at all levels to expand our housing supply and to keep Alberta housing affordable,” said Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon.
But many of these measures are already underway in Calgary.
Calgary’s mayor says it won’t do much:
“There is nothing new in this announcement. So, for anyone who was looking for something new or special, it is not there,” said Mayor Jyoti Gondek.
What’s new is the expansion of the community revitalization levy (CRL) program that allows a city to leverage future property tax revenue to fund it upfront.
Calgary used the program to redevelop East Village, and now CRL money could be used for private housing projects such as office-to-residential conversions.
“This is old news. Community revitalization levees are very difficult tools that have to be considered as a whole. So, saying we’re going to be able to do CRLs all over the place doesn’t work,” Gondek said.
Calgary is in the midst of rolling out its own housing strategy, including a marathon meeting on proposed blanket rezoning.
Those representing developers say the additional equipment is needed.
“With these amendments, the government is building transparency and accountability while ensuring that housing development remains a viable and sustainable endeavor,” said Saheb Dullet of the Alberta Construction Association.
New statistics show that development is increasing in Calgary.
Through the first quarter, building permits were at their highest level in a decade, including nearly 2,500 permits in Calgary for residential projects.
