The City of Brandon is taking steps to address the demand for housing by launching a series of initiatives aimed at accelerating housing development and providing housing options for all residents.
In collaboration with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the City of Brandon is implementing an Action Plan as part of our Housing Accelerator Fund application.
The Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) is a federal program administered by CMHC that provides funding to local authorities, such as Brandon, to incentivize and support initiatives that accelerate the development of housing. To be eligible for this funding, the City of Brandon is moving forward quickly with our actions, including Zoning By-law amendments, a downtown market housing incentive, and affordable housing incentives.
Proposed Changes:
Housing: The proposal is to merge single detached and low-density zoning into one consolidated low-density zone. Over the past five years in Brandon, 81% of all new dwelling units have been non-detached housing types (e.g., apartment, row house, duplex), yet about 50% of all residentially zoned areas only permit detached housing. By consolidating the zones, a variety of low-density housing forms, including detached homes, duplex, and multi-unit buildings up to four units, could be developed to provide housing options for all residents. This change will enable incremental changes in all areas to allow for housing options as our neighbourhoods and demographics change.
Parking: The proposal is to let the market play an increased role in determining the amount of parking by reducing parking requirements for multi-dwelling residential uses to one space per unit, aligning with the current requirement for a detached dwelling. Smaller one-bedroom units less than 603 sq. ft. would have further reduced requirements to 0.5 spaces per dwelling unit.
Density Bonusing: The proposal is to incentivize the provision of more affordable housing and one-bedroom units by allowing a percentage increase in the number of dwelling units built on a property when affordable or one-bedroom units are included.
On Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at 7 p.m. a public hearing will be held on the amendments in Council Chambers at City Hall (410 9th Street). Doors open at 6 p.m. Registration is required to speak at the public hearing. To register, please contact planning@brandon.ca. On-site registration will also be available.
Learn more about these initiatives at City of Brandon – Housing Accelerator Fund
