Housing Accelerator Fund
About the Housing Accelerator Fund (“HAF”)
The City of Humboldt has been approved to receive funding from the Federal Government under the HAF initiative. The HAF is a funding agreement between CMHC and municipalities across Canada to help speed up development and increase housing supply. The City of Humboldt will be receiving $2,298,000 to implement the initiatives outlined in our Housing Action Plan in the table below.
City of Humboldt Housing Action Plan Progress Report
(As of August 1, 2024)
| Initiative Title: | Description: | Status: | Expected Date of Completion: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Update Development Levy Charges | Conduct a study and then have City Council pass a Bylaw to align development charges with the costs of infrastructure and servicing. | The City has engaged consultants who are currently working on this study. | Late Fall 2024 |
| Area Structure Planning | Establishing a plan for the location of major infrastructure irrespective of the current ownership of parcel boundaries in the area north of 12th Avenue and west of Highway 20. | The City has engaged consultants and is working with them to develop a plan. | Late Fall 2024 |
| Residential Construction Tax Incentive | By developing a multi-year exemption program, the City is reducing some of the potential holding costs associated with constructing new housing. | At the regular Meeting of Council held on Monday, July 24, 2023, Council passed Bylaw No. 05/2023 - Property Tax Incentive for the Development of Residential Housing Units. The bylaw provides a property tax incentive for the development of residential housing units by offering a 3-year tax exemption on new builds. The exemption in property taxes is from the date of completion of construction onward to include three full calendar years. | COMPLETED |
| Adjust Development Levies to Encourage Density | The City will completely update its Development Levy study and determine the calculated rates for different density thresholds and then consider ways to set development rates for higher densities that encourage denser developments. | This will be determined after the update to the development levy charges is completed. | Late Fall 2024 |
| Implement ePermitting and Simplify Permit Approval Processes | The City will review its existing permitting processes to remove any unnecessary steps that complicate the process. Also the City will implement more online tools so that developers can more easily submit applications online. | The City has Implemented online e-Permitting on its website allowing developers and builders to submit their applications electronically. This software allows automatically updates applicants as their application is being processed. | COMPLETED |