City makes funding easier for affordable housing initiatives

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on September 15, 2022.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

Lethbridge city council on Tuesday voted unanimously to accept eight recommendations from city administration on positioning the City to best support affordable housing and social housing projects in securing funding through the federal Rapid Housing Initiative program.

Council heard a presentation from Urban Revitalization Manager Andrew Malcolm who presented seven recommendations from administration.

Council added an eighth after acting mayor Belinda Crowson accepted a friendly amendment proposed by councillor Rajko Dodic.

Dodic was told by Malcolm the City needs for more affordable and social housing to help address the issues of homelessness and encampments and make housing more affordable for all.

His report said administration has been in regular contact with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and has been given numerous reasons why previous applications from the City haven’t been successful.

The CMHC has told administration that more municipal support is needed to strengthen applications. That support should focus on de-risking affordable and social housing projects by taking several steps.

Those include:

* Reducing restrictions in the land use bylaw and prioritizing development, and safety code permit applications from affordable housing providers; providing pre-development, capital, and operational incentives;

* Offering direct support in developing applications; and

* Assisting in the purchase or identification of ideal land/property.

After returning from an in camera session where it addressed questions with Malcolm privately, council approved the recommendations.

They are that council:

1. Direct administration to prioritize the review of the development permit and safety code permit applications for multi-unit and social housing projects that are in pursuit of other levels of government funding.

2. Direct administration to report back to Council on considerations for waiving development and safety code permit application fees for affordable and social housing projects.

3. Direct administration to use the Municipal Development Plan and Municipal Housing Strategy Implementation – Municipal Development Plan and Land Use Bylaw Recommendations Report to draft affordable housing related Land Use Bylaw amendments.

4. Direct administration to utilize CC49 – Affordable and Social Housing Capital Grant and approved funding to support RHI connected grant applications.

5. Direct administration to bring back options to amend Policy CC49 – Affordable and Social Housing Capital Grant to include consideration for funding support for pre-development expenses up to $50,000.

6. Direct administration to provide increased levels of support to strategically prioritized RHI applicants that have the best opportunity for success in the creation of their application and subsequent processes.

7. Direct administration to utilize the City of Lethbridge Land Banking Strategy and bring forward opportunities for strategic land purchase or optimization/rationalization to support affordable and social housing in the form of a quarterly report to city council.

8. Direct administration to prepare budget initiatives for the 2023-2026 operating budget deliberations to consider potential long-term impacts and resourcing.

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