Edmonton, Charlottetown and London, Ont., prime the Canadian Residence Builders Affiliation’s record on the subject of housing and the way municipal growth processes, approvals and charges have an effect on affordability and provide.
The CHBA’s Municipal Benchmarking Report in contrast 21 Canadian municipalities’ approaches in three key areas that affect the event of recent dwelling development:
- Municipal planning approval processes
- Municipal expenses levied on new growth
- Municipal approval timelines
Edmonton ranked primary in planning options, sixth in approval timelines and sixth in levies and charges to seize a mixed first-place rating, the town stated in a information launch Wednesday.
This represents an enchancment from the 2020 research, wherein Edmonton ranked second total in Canada.

“The Metropolis of Edmonton has labored very arduous over the previous a number of years to streamline and enhance our allow and licensing processes,” stated Metropolis Supervisor Andre Corbould.
“These enhancements save candidates $5.3 million and 67,600 days collectively annually.
“We all know that these enhancements contributed to our rating and we proceed to try for enhancements that can assist preserve Edmonton’s housing affordability.”
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Edmonton, Charlottetown and London ranked highest total, with sturdy rankings in a minimum of two of the three classes. All 10 Higher Toronto and Hamilton and Metro Vancouver municipalities are ranked within the backside 10.
Edmonton had an total rating of 91 per cent primarily based on six total themes: growth steerage, growth software monitoring, e-submissions/e-payments, availability of planning paperwork, accountability and provincial path. Edmonton was finest at school in areas reminiscent of digital submitting and fee capabilities and accountability.
The town stated Edmonton’s typical approval timeline for growth functions is lower than half of what it’s in Vancouver or Toronto.

“The expansion and future success of Edmonton depends upon the continued profitable collaboration and engagement between the actual property growth trade and the Metropolis of Edmonton,” stated Adil Kodian, Govt Vice President of Rohit Group of Corporations, and member of CHBA-Edmonton Area. .
“It’s important that we proceed to create a enterprise and innovation-friendly surroundings that gives environment friendly timelines, focuses on clean processes and limits further prices for brand spanking new dwelling patrons.”
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The report highlights elements that assist or hinder the method of approval and development of recent housing, in addition to the prices of municipal insurance policies and taxes that have an effect on dwelling patrons.
“This report is meant to help the essential dialog with all ranges of presidency, however significantly with municipal governments, concerning the efficient supply of much-needed new housing provision, together with the affect that inefficiencies and taxes have on housing affordability, which is already a significant problem throughout the nation,” stated Kevin Lee, CEO of CHBA.
“We undertook this work to indicate the place municipal governments have the insurance policies and programs in place to help provision and affordability, and to supply a method ahead for enhancements the place issues aren’t working so properly.”

BILD Alberta, a not-for-profit trade group representing builders, builders, renovators, trades, consultants, producers, service suppliers and suppliers, additionally responded to the rankings.
Govt Director Scott Fash stated that whereas the trade and municipalities “needs to be pleased with this shared achievement, the (CHBA) report highlighted some regarding traits which might be slowly however absolutely eroding the (affordability) benefit.”
Two key components which have protected housing affordability in Alberta, Fash stated, are:
- Continued development of recent communities and sufficient provision of recent housing in quite a lot of types
- Traditionally much less problem and growth prices than different jurisdictions.
Nonetheless, he stated each aggressive benefits are in jeopardy, particularly in Calgary and Edmonton.
“Broad authorities supplied to the 2 cities by Metropolis Charters have created a confused and unpredictable coverage surroundings, including new prices to housing and discouraging new funding in housing provision.”
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The CHBA report discovered that municipal growth prices for low-rise housing rose by 34 per cent per unit in Edmonton and 15 per cent per unit in Calgary between 2020 and 2022. For prime-rise housing, these expenses elevated by 49 per cent per unit in Edmonton and 65 per cent per unit in Calgary.
“These are new prices, simply launched within the final two years, for every new housing unit. The burden of those prices is positioned on new dwelling patrons,” Fash stated.
“What’s extra worrying is that the charges are rising considerably sooner than the nationwide common.”

He stated buyers are reevaluating future initiatives in new communities and housing models, lowering new housing inventory in Edmonton and Calgary.
The CHBA report discovered the common price of state levies levied by municipal governments on low-rise new housing growth averages practically $62,000 per unit.
The common price of state levies levied by municipal governments on new housing growth averages greater than $41,000 per unit.
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