Saanich is getting a $15-million boost from the federal government to speed up the delivery of new housing across the district.
Greater Victoria's most populous community has already received the first allotment of the funding that will be rolled out over four years. The final year's monies will be contingent on the district's performance up to that point.
The Liberal government's Housing Accelerator Fund has dangled $4 billion in front of municipalities that are willing to make zoning reforms, cut red tape or make other changes that will help boost the housing stock or fast track construction.
Through an agreement with the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), Saanich has agreed to put the funds toward completing a neighbourhood homes study, preparing district-owned land for housing, implementing new parking standards, rapidly deploying non-market housing and more.
Saanich's mayor said he's grateful for the support from Ottawa to implement the district's housing plan and build more homes quicker.
“We’ve been working hard to make improvements to our processes and to our policy framework, keeping livability in mind as we make plans for tree protection and investments in green spaces," Saanich Mayor Dean Murdock said in a news release. "These funds will support our vision which sees current and future residents enjoying a high quality of life with access to services, amenities and green spaces.”
Before Saanich's accelerator fund application was approved, the district was told it's getting just over $700,000 from the B.C. government through a $51-million dispersement that looks to help local governments meet new provincial housing requirements.
A breakdown of uses for the federal and provincial funds show millions put towards bringing on new staff – such as planners, a housing advisor and others – who will be tasked with speeding up the housing approval process and other initiatives.
The breakdown also includes $2 million for implementing a new rapid bus line along McKenzie Avenue and $1 million for priority land acquisitions. A district staff report said the latter will support a buying parkland in high priority areas.
"This is being recommended for opportunities that arise related to acquiring green space to support quality of life in areas that have been identified for density," the report said.
Transit officials have said the new McKenzie rapid bus line is still years away.
A combined $140,000 from the funding will go toward Saanich's tree protection bylaw review and the housing-related elements of the district's biodiversity and urban forest strategies.
The district has not yet planned what it will do with about $4 million from the federal injection as the fourth year's funding allotment will be dependent on performance over the first three years.
The federal government has struck housing accelerator agreements with more than 100 municipalities across Canada. The CMHC announced in early August that Saanich was one of 30 communities to have their accelerator applications approved.
Canada's Housing Minister Sean Fraser said at the time the accelerator fund is making it easier to build homes people can afford and the 30 new agreements would result in 14,700 new homes over the next decade.
"There is more work to do, but this program is dramatically changing how communities build homes in this country," Fraser said in a statement.
Since the accelerator funds are a grant, Saanich staff said there will be no impact on taxation.
