CMHC Housing Accelerator Fund Best Practices

End exclusionary zoning: Stop low-density zoning and regulation that excludes housing types such as affordable and social housing in residential areas; encourage high density by allowing mixed-use development and high-density residential as-of-right within proximity to urban cores and transit corridors; and implement by-laws that adopt more as-of-right zoning measures, including the number of units and storeys.

Make municipally owned lands available for housing through strategies such as disposition, acquisition and/or pre-development.

Increase process efficiency by implementing new technologies or software to speed up development approvals, such as e-permitting.

Prioritized/enhanced development approval process for rental and affordable housing.

Comprehensive review of development charges and fee schedules including waivers, with a focus on permits associated with affordable housing.

Reduce or eliminate parking standards to increase project viability, density and reduce carbon footprint.

Eliminate restrictions related to height, setbacks, building floor area and others to allow a greater variety in housing types, including accessory dwelling units.

Develop affordable housing community improvement plans or strategies/plans for the rapid deployment of affordable housing.

Design and implement guidelines or pre-approved building plans for missing middle housing or specific accessory dwelling unit types such as laneway housing or garden suites.

Develop grant programs encouraging the development of housing types that align with the Housing Accelerator Fund such as missing middle, row homes, purpose-built rental and/or that promote new/innovative construction techniques (modular, prefab, mass timber construction, etc.).