Over 1,000 homes to be fast tracked in Regina following agreement between city, feds

Homes under construction in The Towns area of East Regina are pictured in this file photo. (David Prisciak/CTV News)

The City of Regina has reached an agreement with the federal government to fast track over 1,000 homes over the next three years.

On Friday, Mayor Sandra Masters, along with Federal Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Sean Fraser, made the announcement, which is part of the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF).

“Innovation and transformation require investment that is sometimes beyond the means of the day-to-day operations of a city,” Masters said in a Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) news release.

The agreement under the HAF will provide over $35 million to eliminate barriers to building housing.

According to the release, Regina will also develop a funding program to “cover pre-development costs for redevelopment of underused sites and to help build more homes by partnering with non-profit housing groups.”

Regina’s action plan commits to 11 local initiatives, which include zoning changes to allow four units per residential lot, promoting more medium density duplex and multi family homes, allowing greater density among urban corridors by increasing height limits, and making sure different kinds of homes can be built in neighbourhoods that are already established, the release said.

The HAF launched in March of 2023, and is a $4 billion initiative from the provincial government that will run until 2026-27.

“By working with cities, mayors, and all levels of government, we are helping to get more homes built for Canadians at prices they can afford,” Fraser said.