The problem of affordable housing is one that besets just about every community in Canada, and Brandon is no different. The City of Brandon hopes they’ve come up with a plan to at least mitigate the problem.
In a release yesterday, the city announced a new incentive program for affordable housing. The new financial incentives include capital grants, tax exemptions, and offsets on development charges, to support the construction of affordable homes.
“Brandon City Council is proud to endorse this initiative, which highlights our commitment to affordable housing,” said Mayor Jeff Fawcett. “By implementing this incentive program, we are making significant strides towards providing safer, affordable, and high-quality housing. This by-law demonstrates our dedication to collaborating with both federal and provincial authorities to tackle housing issues and build a stronger community.”
According to the release, these financial incentives are available to non-profit organizations, private companies, and Indigenous governments. To be eligible, a housing project has to meet affordability requirements and a commitment to maintaining affordability for at least 20 years.
“We are devoted to making Brandon a more affordable place to live,” said Amanda Dupuis, City of Brandon Community Housing and Wellness Programmer. “We look forward to seeing innovative affordable housing ideas come forward from non-profits, Indigenous governments, and developers.”
The Affordable Housing Incentive Program is funded through the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF), a federal program managed by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). HAF provides funding to local authorities like Brandon to encourage and support projects that speed up housing development.
