The City of Delta now has an agreement to fast-track 424 additional homes over the next three years, work that is to also help spur the construction of 4,100 new homes over the next decade.
That’s according to an announcement by the city and Delta MP Carla Qualtrough at the Evergreen Court in Ladner on Monday, that the city has received $14.2 million from the second round of grants handed out from the federal government’s Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) to eliminate barriers to building housing faster.
The HAF is part of Canada’s National Housing Strategy.
Launched in March 2023, the HAF is a $4.4 billion initiative that will run until 2027/28.
The first round of funding totalled $4 billion, but the City of Delta was not successful in securing a grant in that first round.
The city was successful in the next round, securing funding to help further cut red tape and implement various elements of the city’s Housing Action Plan.
Thanking the Government of Canada, through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), Acting Mayor Dylan Kruger outlined several initiatives the city has already undertaken including a more efficient building permit system and the approval of new Official Community Plan.
He said the funding will help Delta implement other initiatives such as pre-zoning.
The CMHC explains that the upfront funding is to ensure the timely implementation of initiatives, with subsequent payments upon delivering results.
Cities are encouraged to “think big and be bold in their approaches, which could include accelerating project timelines, allowing increased housing density and encouraging affordable housing units.”
Opportunities to develop affordable non-market housing on civic and institutional lands will be enabled through land inventories, financial incentives, capacity building and strategic partnerships, the city notes, adding the action plan also includes technological improvements and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to streamline developmental approvals.
Qualtrough said it’s also about a different way of doing business between the two levels of government, as they have been working together to get things done but the latest funding announcement is the most bold and innovative approach housing, and most exciting thing she’s worked on with the city.
“City officials worked really, really hard to get this past the finish line and I’m so grateful for you doing this. CMHC has worked so hard for Delta to get this past the finish line and that collaboration is the reason why we’re here today,” said Qualtrough.
