CKMS News -2024-04-22- Waterloo’s housing accelerator program gets CMHC approval

by: dan kellar

Waterloo – At the April 15th council meeting of the city of Waterloo, the senior policy planner for growth management, Michelle Lee, presented on the city’s housing accelerator program, including potential add-on effects from the recent federal budget.

While funding for the project was approved “in principle” by the federal government last year, the city had to first send their plan to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.  With the CHMC’s recent approval of all 8 points in the city’s plan, the work can begin.

According to the city’s webpage the project will accelerate new building construction while increasing the supply of housing, streamline the development approvals and building permit process, and “support long lasting systemic changes”.

This show features Lee’s presentation to council and answers to questions posed by councilors Roe, Bodaly, Vasic, Wright, and Mayor McCabe, who asked about the plan, and how the programs would be implemented.