We are in a Housing Crisis
There are no easy fixes, however, Council is committed to working towards finding solutions.
The current Council Strategic Plan has the following goals:
- Livability: Canmore is a place where all residents can thrive.
- Environment: Canmore is a recognized leader in managing human impact on our environment.
- Relationships: Respectful, authentic relationships are the foundation on which our future success is built.
According to the 2021 census, Canmore has the highest wealth inequality level in the country.
Key factors impacting Canmore include:
- A growing proportion of non-owner-occupied dwellings – substantially higher than provincial average. Statistics Canada data indicates 8% of homes in Alberta are non-owner occupied compared to 26% of homes in Canmore being non-owner occupied.
- An increased proportion of households renting versus owning from 29% in 2011 to 34% in 2021.
- An increased proportion of households spending more than 30% of income on shelter costs.
- Monthly shelter costs have increased by 65% since 2006 and are 37% higher than the Alberta average. Shelter costs for owners include mortgage payments, property tax, and utilities and for renters include rent and utilities.
- Average property values have increased by 80% since 2006 and are twice as high as the Alberta average.
On June 6, 2023 Council approved the Housing Accelerator Fund Action Plan.
Housing Accelerator Fund
The Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) was launched by the Government of Canada and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) in spring of 2023. The objectives of the HAF program are to:
- Create more supply of housing at an accelerated pace.
- Enhance certainty in the development process.
- Support the development of complete, affordable, inclusive, equitable and diverse communities.
- Support the development of low-carbon and climate-resilient communities.
Nation-wide, four billion dollars is available through the program.
Current, Planned and New Initiatives to Address Housing
Currently the Town has approved projects in capital and operating budgets that directly align with Action Plan initiatives. Additionally, administration has identified existing programs that would benefit from review and potential revisions.
Current
- Palliser Trail Area Structure Plan (ASP)
- Development of recently acquired provincial lands in the Palliser area
- Improving e-permitting with a dynamic portal
- Updating the Engineering Design and Construction Guidelines (EDCG)
- Reviewing vacant Town land holdings
- Creating a Canmore Community Housing (CCH) residency program
- Development of CCH-owned lands at Stewart Creek and Palliser
Planned
- Update the Climate Action Plan
- Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP)
- Increased requisition to Canmore Community Housing (CCH)
- Stoneworks Flood Mitigation Construction
- Refresh Canmore Community Housing (CCH) Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Grant Program
- Revise the CCH Vital Homes bonusing structure in the Land Use Bylaw
New
- Develop a plan to phase our the Tourist Home Designation
- Investigate a tax structure to incentivize purpose-built rental accommodation
- Investigate tax structures to incentivize full-time/long-term occupancy of residential units
- Land Use Bylaw Changes
We are applying to the Housing Accelerator Fund. We will be putting seven initiatives forward for funding, with six additional initiatives included for back-up consideration. These initiatives are a mix of the current, planned and new initiatives listed above.
Top 7 Initiatives Included:
| Initiative Name | Description | Status |
| Partnering and site planning for development of recently acquired provincial lands in the Palliser area |
In February 2023, the Province of Alberta consented to a transfer of 2.3 hectares of provincial land to the Town for uses that support community livability and affordability. The agreement gives the Town three years to prepare an affordable housing project proposal that aligns with the community’s affordable housing needs assessment.
Developing this land will increase non-market housing supply in Canmore, and provide local services and supports for the adjacent neighbourhood.
Application to the HAF requests costs for consulting and technical specialist support, detailed design of buildings, and permit approvals.
|
Application in progress. |
| Palliser Trail Area Structure Plan (ASP) |
The Palliser Trail Area Structure Plan will provide the vision and policy direction for the future development of more than 10 hectares of Provincially and Town owned land into a diverse, affordable, and attainable community. Application to the HAF requests costs for supporting studies, design, and permit approvals for the priority site(s). |
Application in progress. |
| Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP) |
The Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan will provide a future vision for Canmore's downtown area. The Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan will provide a public realm plan, land use concept, development policy, and actionable implementation plan to guide change, growth, and investment into the heart of the community over the next 20-30 years. The planning process will evaluate underutilized sites within the area to explore opportunities for expanded residential opportunities, where feasible. Application to the HAF requests costs for supporting technical studies and public engagement. |
Application in progress. |
| Repurposing Town Lands for Affordable Housing |
The goal of this project is to undertake the regulatory approvals required to repurpose selected Town-owned sites within Canmore, for affordable housing for the local population and workforce. A previously completed analysis of the viability and feasibility of development will be used to create development proposals for each site. The outcome of this project is approved permits for the viable sites.
Application to the HAF requests costs for supporting studies, design, and permit approvals for the priority site(s).
|
Application in progress. |
| Develop a property tax structure to incentivize purpose-built rental accommodation | To help address the lack of long-term rental stock in the community, tax policy to incentivize landowners to build purpose-built rentals will be created. Tax incentives will be linked to use – in this case, long term rentals – and if a building were to convert to ownership, tax incentives would cease to apply.
Application to the HAF requests costs for consultant time to develop a new tax policy.
|
Application in progress. |
| Refresh Canmore Community Housing (CCH) Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Grant Program |
This incentive will design and deliver an updated ADU program aimed at increasing housing supply. The revamp of the program will learn from the previous pilot to increase uptake. Application to the HAF requests costs for program grants, marketing, and administration. |
Application in progress. |
| Creating a Canmore Community Housing (CCH) residency program |
The goal of this program is to create an inventory of non-market housing for purchase and sale to qualified residents of Canmore who occupy the unit as their permanent residence. Residency programs would be distinguishable from affordable housing programs by the absence of a household income threshold.
Another option being explored is incentivizing existing homeowners to restrict resales to eligible residents.
Application to the HAF requests costs for consulting support associated with program development.
|
Application in progress. |
Additional Initiatives:
| Initiative Name | Description | Status |
| Improving e-permitting with dynamic portal |
The Town will be launching an online application portal for all building and development permits. This portal will support a completely digital application process, where applications are uploaded and paid for by applicants online, and subsequently reviewed by staff, all within the same system. Application to the HAF requests costs for software development, testing and training of staff. |
Application in progress. |
| Development of CCH-owned lands at Stewart Creek |
CCH recently acquired Town owned land in the Stewart Creek subdivision that is adjacent to a CCH owned parcel. The two parcels have now been consolidated into one and CCH is now in the process of seeking rezoning on the property to maximize the affordable housing development potential. The outcome is missing middle development of approximately 17 units.
Application to the HAF requests costs for the construction of the 17 units.
|
Application in progress. |
| Develop property tax structures to incentivize full-time/long-term occupancy of residential units |
Incentives to occupy housing units long-term rather than keep them vacant will directly help with our housing crisis by encouraging full-time occupancy.
A property tax structure that creates a surcharge for vacant or under-occupied properties will be implemented. Such a program would support provision of housing as it is recommended that additional taxes levied on those who choose to keep their homes vacant or underoccupied
would be directed to the provision of affordable/attainable housing for long-term occupancy. Application to the HAF requests costs for consulting fees necessary to develop a new tax policy.
|
Application in progress. |
| Change Land Use Policy to phase out the Tourist Home Designation |
This project will phase out the Tourist Home designation from the Land Use Bylaw, to encourage property owners to rent their properties long-term instead of as short-term rentals on platforms like AirBnB and VRBO. In terms of taxation, Tourist Homes used for non-personal use could retain the tourist home status and their reclassification as commercial properties should be explored. Tourist homes used for personal use would potentially be reclassified as residential uses and lose their tourist home status. This change would be in perpetuity so future owners would not be able to revert to a Tourist Home. No new Tourist Homes would be approved moving forward, which will result in more units being built for long term occupancy.
Application to the HAF requests costs to support consulting services to develop policy changes.
|
Application in progress. |
| Revise the affordable homes bonusing structure in the Land Use Bylaw |
The current approach to provision of non-market housing through the bonusing provisions in the Land Use Bylaw does not serve the Town, Canmore Community Housing, or the building industry as well as it could. Rules are unclear, the provisions have limited applicability, and the program has very limited uptake. Administration intends to work with CCH and the local development industry to review the current system with the goal of finding ways to improve it.
Application to the HAF requests costs for consulting services for the land use bylaw changes.
|
Application in progress. |
| Update the Climate Emergency Action Plan |
We are updating our environmental governing documents into a Climate Emergency Action Plan. It will include implementation measures that ensure the Town’s efforts on environment and climate change are inclusive and equitable, and align with and support international, national, and provincial climate change initiatives, targets, or goals.
Application to the HAF requests costs for consulting services and public engagement to develop the new plan.
|
Application in progress. |
Taking Bold Action to Address housing
Regardless of the outcome of the application to the Housing Accelerator Fund, Council has committed to the bold NEW actions identified above to address their livability, environment, and relationship goals. These initiatives will be moving forward, it is just a matter of what the program details look like.
Here is more information on each new initiative.
Why?
Although tourist homes have been permitted in certain residential areas of Canmore, their use as short-term rentals erodes the community’s inventory of housing stock that might otherwise be available for long-term residential purposes.
Existing tourist homes may become legally non-conforming – meaning they could continue to operate as a Tourist Home, unless the use ceased for six consecutive months, at which point they would revert to a residential use.
In terms of taxation, Tourist Homes used for non-personal use could retain the tourist home status and their reclassification to commercial properties would be explored. Tourist homes used for personal use would be reclassified as residential and lose their tourist home status. This change would be in perpetuity so future owners would not be able to revert to a Tourist Home. No new Tourist Homes would be approved moving forward.
Why?
To help address the lack of long-term rental stock in the community, the investigation of tax policy to incentivize landowners to build purpose-built rentals is being recommended.
While under provincial regulation, the municipal land use framework generally prohibits regulation of user (i.e., form of tenure) versus the use itself, the tax policy
framework does allow the Town to take the approach of incentivizing certain forms of tenure. Tax incentives can be linked to tenure – in this case, long term rentals – and if a building were to convert to ownership, tax incentives would cease to apply.
Why?
Canmore has some of the highest housing costs in Canada. Increasing property values are contributing to rental housing demand as fewer full-time households can afford to purchase a home and turn to the rental market. Empty homes and homes that are infrequently occupied further contribute to the housing crisis by removing market opportunities for local residents.
Incentives to occupy housing units long-term rather than keep them vacant can help with our housing crisis directly, by encouraging full-time occupancy. Property tax structures that would create a surcharge for vacant or under-occupied properties are being investigated.
Such a program would support provision of housing as it is
recommended that additional taxes levied on those who choose to keep their homes vacant or under-occupied would be directed to the provision of affordable/attainable housing for long-term occupancy.
Why?
Land Use Bylaw changes, most notably related to residential building heights and parking requirements can have an impact on housing availability.