Growing Campbell River's housing supply with the Housing Accelerator Fund

The Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) is a federal initiative administered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to accelerate housing supply by supporting local governments in removing barriers to development and streamlining processes. The City of Campbell River entered into a HAF Contribution Agreement with CMHC in January 2024, securing eligibility for up to $10.4 million in funding. This funding is released in stages based on the City’s ability to meet the commitments outlined in the Approved Action Plan.

The Approved Action Plan consists of seven initiatives and housing supply targets, which collectively aim to increase housing availability through regulatory updates, financial incentives, and land-use planning strategies. The plan includes a Housing Supply Growth Target of 1,277 permitted housing units by January 2028, with additional targets specifying that 549 of these units will be missing middle housing, 345 will be other multi-unit housing, and 16.36 percent of the total permitted units will be designated as affordable housing. These initiatives and targets guide the City's approach to expanding housing options and ensuring a more efficient development process.

HAF Initiatives and Progress

1. Accessory Dwelling Unit Implementation Strategy (completed)
2. Missing Middle Plex Zoning Strategy for 4 Units AS-of-Right and Infrastructure Readiness Assessment (completed)
3. Parking Regulation Revisions to Reduce Parking Requirement (completed)
4. Development Approvals Process Improvements and Regulatory Barrier Reductions (completed)
5. Civic and Underutilized Lands Acquisition and Disposing Strategy and Development Review (in progress)
6. Financial Tools to Incentivize Development Including Non-Market Housing (in progress)
7. Increasing Multi-Family and Transit-Oriented Housing Viability (completed)

Each initiative consists of specific milestones, which are measurable actions that track progress toward the Approved Action Plan's goals. Learn about these initiatives and our action plan in the Key Initiatives FAQ section.

Public Engagement

The City hosted an open house at the Maritime Heritage Centre (621 Island Highway) on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. We thank those who were able to join us to learn more about the City’s HAF Approved Action Plan.

To learn more about other housing initiatives at the City of Campbell River, visit www.campbellriver.ca/housing.

HAF Funding and Project Timeline

The HAF Contribution Agreement spans four years, from January 2024 to January 2028, with funding provided in four scheduled advances based on progress. To date, the City has received $5.2 million of the $10.4 million total, with CMHC advancing the next $2.6 million payment in early 2025 following verification that the City had met all 2024 commitments.

The City is required to submit annual reports tracking progress on permitting, housing supply growth, and use of funds.

The final program phase (2026-2028) will focus on ensuring long-term housing development viability, including public-private partnerships for non-market housing and transit-oriented residential projects.

The City will continue providing updates as initiatives progress.

Next Steps

Following the successful completion of the first five initiatives, the City is now prioritizing initiatives that will have the greatest long-term impact on housing growth and affordability.

In 2025, work will focus on pre-zoning and pre-servicing municipal lands to support multi-unit and transit-oriented housing while also completing a comprehensive Development Cost Charges (DCC) review to ensure long-term infrastructure funding.

By 2026, efforts will shift to land acquisition strategies and collaboration with non-profit housing providers and private developers to facilitate affordable housing projects.

These initiatives ensure the City remains on track to meet its Housing Supply Growth Target of 1,277 permitted units by January 2028, as outlined in the commitments of the Approved Action Plan, while unlocking new housing opportunities across Campbell River.