Calgary council approves citywide rezoning after a record 15-day hearing

On May 14, 2024, Calgary City Council approved citywide rezoning, with amendments, as part of its response to the housing crisis.

The hearing

The decision came after a 15-day public hearing in which 736 Calgarians spoke and 6,101 submitted written statements, the largest and longest public hearing in the City’s history.

What changes

• Low-density residential zoning changes across Calgary. Besides single detached houses, semi-detached homes, rowhouses and townhouses are allowed in new and established areas.
• The change takes effect on August 6, 2024. The City can accept applications now but will not decide on them before that date.
• Council amended the original proposal to address concerns about parks, parking and backyard suites with rowhouses and townhouses.
• It will be easier for residents to give input at the development permit stage.

Mayor Jyoti Gondek called housing “truly the problem of our time.” Rezoning is one of 98 actions in the City’s Housing Strategy.

What it means for owners and buyers

Many lots can now hold more homes without a separate rezoning. That can raise the value of lots that builders want, and it may change what gets built next door. Buyers of older homes on larger lots should ask how the new zoning applies before they buy.

Written submissions on citywide rezoning

From hearing to decision

When the hearing opened on April 22, the City counted more than 650 registered speakers and 5,515 written submissions. By the end, 736 people had spoken and 6,101 had written in. City Manager David Duckworth called it a “record-breaking public hearing.” Before the hearing began, City staff had recommended one key change, which council approved: making it easier for residents to give input at the development permit stage in their communities.

“We heard clearly from Calgarians that they care about the state of housing citywide, and also about what gets built next door,” said Tim Keane, General Manager of Planning & Development Services. “Both of these matter to The City too. We are committed to enabling more homes and making sure they fit well into our communities.”

The timeline

The new zoning takes effect on August 6, 2024. Until then, the City can accept applications for rezoned lots, but it will not decide on them. People who are thinking about a project can call Planning and Development Services at 403-268-5311. The City said the meeting minutes and decision would be posted within three business days after the meeting.

How this connects to the housing market

The decision comes in a very tight market. In April 2024, CREB reported only 2,711 homes for sale in Calgary, half the usual April level, and less than one month of supply. Rezoning does not create homes by itself, but it removes one step, a site-by-site rezoning, before builders can add semi-detached homes, rowhouses or townhouses on many lots. It is also part of the plan Calgary committed to when it signed a Housing Accelerator Fund agreement worth over $228 million in November 2023.

Rezoning for housing is one of 98 actions in Home is Here, the housing strategy council approved in September 2023. Mayor Gondek said that “today’s decision is just one of the actions in the Housing Strategy, we will continue our work in implementing the entire strategy.”