Open houses added so more Winnipeggers can weigh in on infill housing plan

The city has added a number of open houses to give Winnipeggers a chance to learn about proposed citywide zoning changes aimed at adding more infill housing.

Following in-person and virtual open houses last month, the city announced five additional, in-person sessions between April 29 and May 6 at a number of locations across the city.

The open houses are come-and-go formats and allow residents to meet with city planners to learn about the proposed changes and share their thoughts.

Winnipeggers can also email their questions and comments until April 28.

City plans to add 14K housing units over 3 years

If approved, the changes to the Winnipeg Zoning By-law and Local Area Plans would allow as-of-right development of two-unit, three-unit and four-unit homes in a number of neighbourhoods, as well as taller, four-unit homes. These can be up to 30 feet on certain lots and be built within 800 metres of key transit routes.

The city said these changes will ensure that rules on height, building setback, and landscaping, as well as other parameters, are followed.

The bylaw changes are aimed at creating more affordable housing throughout the city. In a proposal, the city said its current plan is to build 14,000 units over the next three years using $122 million of federal dollars from the Housing Accelerator Fund.

In addition to changing zoning rules, the city also plans to expedite development and permit approvals and create programs and grants to build houses faster.

The proposal can be read on the city’s website.