Winnipeg surpasses Housing Accelerator Fund housing target ahead of deadline

Released: September 9, 2026 at 11:26 a.m.
14,833 new housing units approved since December 2023, putting the City on track to receive its full $126.5 million in federal HAF funding

Winnipeg, MB - The City of Winnipeg has surpassed its Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) target of approving 14,251 new housing units, nearly three months ahead of the December 5, 2026 deadline.

We have approved 14,833 new housing units through building permits since signing our HAF agreement on December 5, 2023.

Meeting the target puts us on track to receive the final scheduled payment of $32.6 million from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). Payment is subject to CMHC's final review, expected in early 2027. The review will confirm whether the requirements of the funding agreement have been met and assess Winnipeg's performance against all agreement targets.

“Winnipeg is building more homes, faster, and this milestone is another sign that our work with other levels of government is delivering results,” said Gillingham. “We are seeing record housing growth because we’ve cut red tape, modernized our processes and made it easier to build the homes Winnipeg families need.”

In March 2026, CMHC approved an additional $4 million for Winnipeg and increased our original target by 150 units, from 14,101 to 14,251. The final payment would bring our total HAF funding to $126.5 million.

We have also completed the required milestones for the original eight initiatives in our HAF Action Plan, including:

  • Providing incentives for mixed-income and deeply affordable housing across the city
  • Contributing City-owned lands for affordable housing
  • Enabling infill and higher-density housing along commercial corridors and at mall sites
  • Updating local area plans to remove barriers to development
  • Speeding up permit approvals and digitizing applications
  • Investing in infrastructure to support housing near high-frequency transit
  • Guiding affordable housing development and expediting reviews through a concierge service
  • Completing a Housing Needs Assessment guided by groups with specific housing expertise and lived experience

A ninth initiative added in March — a grant program to support the conversion of vacant historic downtown buildings into housing — is also on track for completion.

Together, these initiatives are helping add more housing options across Winnipeg, with results including:

  • 7,989 new housing units approved through building permits near high-frequency transit since December 5, 2023 (106 percent of HAF target)
  • 1,409 new affordable housing units approved through building permits since December 5, 2023 (104 percent of HAF target) including a record 15 percent of new housing units in 2025, compared with an average of three percent in 2023
  • 1,040 new Downtown housing units approved through building permits in 2025 alone — nearly three times the annual target of 350 and highest amount on record

For more information, visit: winnipeg.ca/HAF

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