Cities all across Canada are facing significant challenges related to housing affordability and availability. Population growth has led to a rising demand for housing that the current rate of housing construction cannot meet.
We have developed eight targeted Action Plan Initiatives aimed at speeding up the rate of development and increasing the number of affordable units available in Winnipeg.
We will modernize zoning rules, increase density near major transit and transportation routes, and incentivize the construction of more housing, including affordable housing units and projects to help people experiencing homelessness.
These initiatives are being made possible through the support of the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF), a national housing program launched in 2023 by the Government of Canada through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
With the support of $122.4 million in HAF funding, we are required to help create 3,166 additional building permitted housing units than we would normally see, and 14,101 in total over the next three years. This includes at least 931 affordable housing units.
We are receiving the funding in four annual installments, beginning with $30.6 million in 2023. The remaining installments will require progress on the Action Plan Initiatives and achieving our building permitted housing targets.
Information on the Action Plan Initiatives is outlined below and will be updated as more information is available.
For questions on the HAF program and funding, contact HAF@winnipeg.ca.
Read the Housing Accelerator Fund Contribution Agreement as amended on July 17, 2024 (PDF, 1.1MB)
Action Plan Initiatives
We are streamlining zoning rules to increase housing density, promote infill development, and expand the range of housing options city-wide.
Changes to the Winnipeg Zoning By-law and Downtown Zoning By-law introduced as-of-right permissions for four units per residential lot, up to four storeys within 800 metres of high-frequency transit, and allow housing on currently designated commercial corridors and mall sites.
Milestones
1. Program initiation
Completed – February 2024
The project team dedicated to leading rapid zoning by-law amendments was identified and a workplan for the entire initiative was created.
2. Review of current zoning bylaws
Completed – January 2024
A thorough review of the existing Winnipeg Zoning By-law and Downtown Zoning By-law began in January 2024.
3. Decision on bylaw amendments
Completed – May 2024
This collection of bylaw amendments, referred to as “Bucket 2”, focused on amendments that aligned with policies or directions previously endorsed by Council in May 2024. These changes included a number of amendments that support different types of "missing middle" housing, as outlined in the Small-Scale and Low-Rise Residential Development Guidelines for Mature Communities.
4. Housing being allowed as-of-right on currently designated commercial corridors and mall sites
Completed – January 2025
In April 2024, we hired consultants to assist with drafting two further collections, or “buckets”, of zoning by-law amendments. Buckets 3.1 and 3.2 contain amendments related to HAF initiatives.
Bucket 3.1 focused on allowing housing on commercial corridors and mall sites. The Bucket 3.1 amendments were passed by Council in November 2024. The by-law came into effect on January 31, 2025.
Learn more about malls & corridors.
5. Legalize four dwelling units per residential lot be permitted as-of-right city-wide
Completed – June 2025
Zoning by-law amendments in Bucket 3.2 focus on making it easier to build up to four residential units on a single property city-wide. This collection of amendments was approved by Council in June 2025.
Learn more about infill zoning.
6. Legalize four units of up to four storeys as-of-right within 800 metres of high-frequency transit corridors
Completed – June 2025
Zoning by-law amendments in Bucket 3.2 also focus on making it easier to build four residential units on a single property and up to four storeys within 800 metres of high-frequency transit routes. This collection of amendments was approved by Council in June 2025.
Learn more about infill zoning.
7. Hire a consultant to undertake Comprehensive Review of the Zoning Bylaws
Completed – December 2025
The fourth bucket of amendments will include a full re-write of both the Winnipeg Zoning By-law and Downtown Zoning By-law. A consultant has been hired for this work. The full review will consist of a comprehensive process with significant public and stakeholder consultation.
Local area plans, or community plans, include local development policies to guide growth and development in a defined area. We use these plans to maintain development policies in areas and neighbourhoods across Winnipeg.
We will update these plans to remove additional barriers to housing development in existing neighbourhoods. This will include a comprehensive review of local area plans to identify constraints. Following this review, we will prioritize planning amendments to address these barriers.
Milestones
1. Program initiation
Completed – May 2024
The project team, including project lead, was identified in January 2024. A final project charter and workplan for the initiative was created in May 2024.
2. Review of plans
Completed – December 2024
We reviewed existing local area plans in June and July 2024 to identify constraints to housing development. Through this review, we identified a list of potential amendments.
3. Council decision on accelerated amendments
Completed – June 2025
Council approved the first round of local area plan amendments, including those to the Complete Communities Direction Strategy and one local area plan as part of Malls and Corridors. Council also approved a round of local area plan amendments related to Infill Zoning. These amendments include permitting four residential units “as-of-right” city-wide, and four residential units up to four storeys within 800 metres of high frequency transit corridors.
4. Prioritize major amendments
Completed – April 2025
Approximately 40 local area plans were reviewed, along with any related City planning documents and policies. We identified limiting policies and regulations, grouping amendments into two phases: “minor” and “major” amendments.
5. Launch major amendments
Completed – December 2025
“Minor amendments” are small changes to existing policies related to housing. The application process began in Fall 2025 and public hearing dates are scheduled for early 2026.
“Major amendments” are changes that require stakeholder engagement before proceeding. Engagement for these will begin in Winter 2025/2026.
This initiative will provide direct funding to local housing projects through the HAF Grant Program to create more housing supply in Winnipeg.
A total of $25 million was awarded to 11 projects in the first round of funding. A second round of funding was announced in February 2025, awarding an additional $25 million to 12 projects. The awarded projects through both rounds of the program are expected to create a total of 2, 555 new housing units. Of those new units, 1,318 will be affordable units.
Learn more about the HAF Grant Program.
Milestones
1. Program design
Completed – April 2024
As part of planning the project, we determined program criteria, application administration and enforcement processes, fulfilled staffing requirements, and engaged partners to ensure alignment with other available housing programs.
2. Council adoption
Completed – May 2024
We assessed policy and approval requirements, drafted a by-law that would govern the program, and prepared an administrative report for Council’s consideration. Council approved and adopted this by-law on May 30, 2024.
3. Program launch
Completed – October 2024
We launched Round One of the HAF Grant Program in Spring 2024 through a series of activities.
First, we announced the program publicly, promoting $25 million in grant funding for eligible projects, and opened the application window. Proponents applied to the program online. We worked with the Province of Manitoba, CMHC, End Homelessness Winnipeg, and Winnipeg Foundation to co-assess projects.
Round One of the program awarded grants to 11 local housing projects.
Round Two of the program was approved by Council in December 2024, along with three Downtown Transformational projects. Round Two awarded an additional $29 million to 12 projects, including the three Downtown Transformational projects.
4. Economic feasibility study to enhance program
Completed – December 2025
We hired consultants to better understand our role in supporting and incentivizing affordable housing. The consultants reviewed recent housing development policies in Winnipeg and other cities. They also researched financial implications of various types of housing development policies.
The study was completed in December 2025 and will be presented to Council in 2026.
We have created a Land Enhancement Office to support the development of affordable, supportive, and mixed-income housing on City-owned land.
This initiative focuses on making land available to non-profit, supportive, and Indigenous housing providers to create affordable housing. Staff and policy framework for the Office are now in place.
Pre-development plans and studies will make it easier for partners to redevelop sites suitable for missing middle housing. The Office will also identify, consolidate, and rezone sites for higher-density residential development.
Milestones
1. Team Initiation
Completed - May 2024
A Land Enhancement Administrator position was created and hired. A project team was identified to support the Land Enhancement Office.
2. Policy Development
Completed - October 2024
This action sets out the policy framework and amendments needed to build housing on City-owned land. This phase included engagement and consultation with partners, including non-profit developers, Indigenous organizations, the Province of Manitoba, and private development industry. We have adopted significant policy and by-law changes that will allow Land Development Office to meet its goals.
3. Pre-development for high-density development
Completed - December 2024
The Land Enhancement Office has identified and consolidated sites suitable for higher-density residential development. Properties are in the process of being sold, transferred, or leased to facilitate residential development. Council provided direction in September 2024 to provide delegated authority to the Chief Administrative Officer to declare strategic City-owned lands intended for affordable housing as surplus. Other pre-development activities include land survey and site servicing studies initiated by the City.
4. Pre-development for missing middle housing
Completed - December 2025
The Land Enhancement Office has identified sites with missing middle residential potential from its current inventory. In early 2026, we will release an Expression of Interest (EOI) for Small Lots for Affordable Housing. The EOI offers City-owned residential properties at $1 for development of affordable housing.
The Affordable Housing Concierge Service acts as a single point of contact to assist non-profit housing providers and Indigenous organizations plan their affordable housing applications, coordinate expedited review times where possible, and provide guidance on next steps at different stages of the development and building permit processes.
Learn more about the Affordable Housing Concierge Service.
Milestones
1. Initiation
Completed June 2024
We started the process to hire an Affordable Housing Concierge in January 2024. The Concierge began in their role in May 2024 and a final project charter and workplan was then created for the initiative.
2. Launch services
Completed - September 2024
Prior to launching the Affordable Housing Concierge Service for project proponents, the newly established Concierge met various City departments and divisions to discuss opportunities for expedited reviews in the development review process. We also consulted non-profit and Indigenous housing providers to better understand their housing projects and explore how the City could support these initiatives. To date, the Affordable Housing Concierge Service has supported 50+ unique projects which reflected program goals and anticipated community and housing outcomes. The Concierge is also project-managing the “End-to-End" Review of the Development Process.
We will invite developers to apply for financial assistance for infrastructure upgrades that could otherwise impede housing development. Through the use of a financial assistance program, we will help developers with upsizing costs associated with upgrading, extending, or installing local infrastructure needed for new housing.
This could also include direct investments in infrastructure that will unlock City-owned sites identified for affordable housing redevelopments, which will complement the work of the land enhancement office.
Milestones
1. Program design and planning
Completed - June 2024
A project team was formed to guide the work of the infrastructure support program. The working group created a program plan and developed the criteria for program eligibility and evaluation.
2. Stakeholder consultation
Completed - August 2024
The project team held internal and external discussions that included holding workshops with industry groups and developers. These consultations with stakeholders were essential to helping shape the program.
3. Council approval
Completed - December 2024
Council reviewed and approved program details in December 2024. Program by-laws were approved by Council in January 2025.
4. Program launch
Completed - April 2025
We launched the Multi-Family Sustainable Housing and Infrastructure Grant (MSHIG) in April 2025 and began accepting applications in the Spring and Summer. One external project has been conditionally approved, creating 118 units, and supporting at least 145 to 850 units after 2026. Three projects aligned with our Land Enhancement Office have also been approved.
We will continue to improve the digitizing of building permit applications and expand digitized online applications to include all land development and planning applications.
Our online permit application portal will be further enhanced and modernized, with improvements like online appointments and self-service areas.
Milestones
1. Implementation of e-permitting portal
Completed - December 2025
This initiative continues the Planning, Property, and Development Department’s efforts to modernize city-building processes by digitizing development applications.
The first phase involved moving from a paper-based system to electronic by enabling electronic application processing in AMANDA (the City’s application database). The second phase involved integrating application flows into Permits Online, the City’s web-based customer portal. This update allows the public to submit development applications and monitor the status of their application using the online self-service portal.
We are required to put together a housing needs assessment report before the end of 2025 to help guide our HAF Action Plan Initiatives.
Milestones
1. Housing Needs Assessment
Completed - December 2025
The 2025 Housing Needs Assessment was released in December 2025 and gives a snapshot of housing in Winnipeg today.
The Housing Needs Assessment was written by the Housing Accelerator Fund team. The report was guided by input from:
- Groups with specific expertise and lived experience related to housing.
- Advisory committee made up of internal and external subject matter experts.
Read the City of Winnipeg 2025 Housing Needs Assessment (PDF, 47.9MB) or the At a Glance Report – 2025 Housing Needs Assessment.
Housing targets and results
Two-year reporting period – December 5, 2023 – December 4, 2025
- Housing unit target – 8,521
- Net new housing units – 9,716
- Single family detached homes – 1,386
- Multi-family housing units (Close to frequent transit) – 3,646
- Multi-family housing units (Missing middle housing units) – 1,838
- Multi-family housing units (Other) – 2,846
- Affordable units included – 1,046
Note: One unit is a construction permitted housing unit that may be completed, under construction, or pending construction.