Saanich welcomes support from federal Housing Accelerator Fund

News Release
For immediate release

Saanich, BC – The District of Saanich now has a plan in place to make maximum use of the nearly $15 million over four years it has received from the federal government’s Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF).

“We are grateful for this support from Ottawa to help us implement our ambitious housing supply plan and build more homes for people more quickly,” says Saanich Mayor Dean Murdock. “We’ve been working hard to make improvements to our processes and to our policy framework, keeping livability in mind as we make plans for tree protection and investments in green spaces. These funds will support our vision which sees current and future residents enjoying a high quality of life with access to services, amenities and green spaces.”

As shared at last night’s Council meeting, the District’s plan for making use of the HAF includes a mix of project funding as well as support to hire more staff on a three-year term who will work to make the District’s development approvals process much more efficient and streamlined. Some HAF funds will also go towards the digital tools required to support these process improvement efforts.

Monies are also being set aside to advance work related to integrating housing with the Biodiversity Conservation and Urban Forest Strategies, developing plans for deployment of rapid transit and assessing the water and sewer infrastructure necessary to support housing into the future.

Learn more
For more information on how Saanich is working to address the urgent need for housing affordability, diversity and supply, please visit our website.

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Media Contact:
Saanich Communications
media@saanich.ca