The City of Calgary has missed a federal deadline tied to the fourth and final payment from the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF), CityNews reported on October 28, 2026.
What happened
- Calgary’s HAF agreement is worth $251 million, paid in instalments, according to CBC. The final instalment is $65 million.
- Federal Housing Minister Gregor Robertson had told the City that the payment depended on zoning that allows four or more units on a “significant majority” of residential lots, with a plan in place by October 27. Calgary did not meet that deadline.
- The City’s chief housing officer, Reid Hendry, said zoning was the only area where Calgary fell short, and that the City hopes to receive “well above 90 per cent” of the payment.
- Mayor Jeromy Farkas said he is confident Calgary will get the majority of the payment, while noting that the province’s recent direction to limit density “does throw a bit of a question into the works.”
The City has no plans to reintroduce broad zoning changes and is focusing on density around transit corridors, CityNews reported. CMHC did not respond to CityNews before broadcast.
Why it matters
HAF money supports programs that help get more homes built. Whether Calgary receives all, most or none of the final payment will shape how much the City can spend on housing incentives in 2027. We will update this story when CMHC announces its decision.
Calgary’s Housing Accelerator Fund agreement and the final instalment
How the federal condition and the provincial direction collide
The Housing Accelerator Fund is a federal program, run by CMHC, that pays cities to speed up home building. Calgary’s commitments included broader zoning, and that was the piece undone when council repealed citywide rezoning, effective August 4. Earlier this month, the Government of Alberta directed Calgary to maintain that repeal while the City prepares the Calgary Plan and a new land use bylaw. The federal condition asks for more density on most lots; the provincial direction limits it. That is the “question” Mayor Farkas referred to.
When council voted for the repeal, a CMHC spokesperson told CBC that “if commitments are not met or are reversed, HAF funding is at risk,” and that all funding decisions would be shared publicly. City officials are expected to make their case to federal representatives this week.
What the City is doing instead
The City says it met its other targets and is concentrating on density around transit corridors rather than reintroducing citywide changes. Ward 1 Councillor Kim Tyers, who opposed citywide rezoning, told CityNews that signs of federal flexibility were encouraging.
What happens next
The final payment is about a quarter of the whole agreement, so the outcome matters. CMHC has not said publicly whether it will pay all, part or none of it. A partial payment, as the City is hoping for, would recognise the targets Calgary did meet; a full refusal would mean Calgary loses the whole instalment over zoning alone. Either way, the decision is expected to be made public, and it will feed into the City’s 2027 housing budget.
What it means for Calgarians
- Homeowners and buyers: nothing changes on the ground right now. Zoning on your lot is the same as it was after August 4.
- Builders and non-profits: City housing incentives funded by the program could be smaller in 2027 if the payment is cut. Watch for updates before you count on a grant.
- Property taxpayers: if federal money falls short, council will have to decide whether to scale back housing programs or fund them another way.
- Near transit: the City’s focus on transit corridors suggests that is where more density is most likely to be allowed in the next land use bylaw.
