MOOSE JAW — A new housing needs assessment report provides an in-depth analysis of Moose Jaw’s housing market, identifies the main challenges with housing and lays out long-term planning initiatives to pursue.
The document highlights several housing trends in the community, including population growth and demographics, housing affordability, rental market constraints, an aging housing stock and future housing needs, according to a report presented during the Feb. 24 regular city council meeting.
Furthermore, the report outlines key strategies to address housing needs and promote sustainable residential growth, including funding meaningful incentives, development partnerships with First Nation groups and having the municipality directly intervene or become involved in housing development.
The recommendations also focus on:
- Economic development, including leveraging opportunities for residential growth, especially at 15 Wing and the agri-food industrial park; marketing the city’s advantages as an attractive location; and engaging with developers by encouraging and incentivizing a diverse housing supply
- Streamlining development processes, including improving transparency and efficiency, providing logical and justified regulatory decisions, reducing administrative bottlenecks, and improving the permit process
- Promoting housing diversity by updating zoning requirements, ensuring there is a mix of affordable and diverse housing types, and planning for future growth and expansion
Money will be required to implement some of the long-term planning recommendations, including amendments to the zoning bylaw, expanding building incentive programs, upgrading infrastructure to expand services and utilities and pursuing housing programs and partnerships with non-profits, developers, and provincial and federal agencies, the report said.
“Funding for these initiatives will be sought through federal and provincial grants, alongside municipal contributions where required,” the document added. “A comprehensive funding strategy will be developed to ensure financial sustainability while achieving housing goals.”
During the Feb. 24 meeting, council voted unanimously to adopt the 2024 Moose Jaw Housing Needs Assessment document and post it to the City of Moose Jaw’s website before March 31.
Moreover, it directed city administration to create a policy to permit four-unit developments “as-of-right” in the zoning bylaw and incorporate development standards for building heights, maximum site coverage, setbacks and minimum frontage to ensure new developments are context-sensitive.
The City of Moose Jaw worked with Wallace Insights to update the housing needs assessment so it aligned with federal funding requirements and guided future housing development, the council report explained. The updated document provides a detailed analysis of housing trends, affordability issues and anticipated population growth.
Administration wants to post the assessment online before March 31 to ensure Moose Jaw remains eligible for federal funding programs and complies with federal requirements for the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF), the report continued.
Also, amending the zoning bylaw to include four-unit developments aligns with “best practices for increasing housing supply while maintaining neighbourhood character.”
, which was a requirement for the municipality’s application to the,” the report said.
However, in February 2024, Ottawa informed city hall that it had denied the HAF application.
Council discussed submitting another HAF application to August 2024 but declined because the program’s funding was contingent on achieving housing creation targets that administration thought were unachievable, according to the report.
CHIF also mandates that municipalities implement zoning policies allowing four-unit developments as-of-right to receive funding, the report said. Administration will present zoning bylaw updates in March, thus ensuring the city remains eligible for federal funding.
The report added that other federal funding programs also require an updated assessment report.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, March 10.
