City of Leduc to expedite initiatives to address housing needs in Leduc

The City of Leduc is taking significant steps to address housing needs in the community, thanks in part to new federal funding that will accelerate housing-related initiatives in the City’s Housing Strategy. 

“When families have stable housing, they are more apt to thrive and when people can afford to buy a home, our community grows stronger,” says Bob Young, Mayor of the City of Leduc. “This isn’t just about constructing buildings. It’s about building a more resilient and strong community for all. I’m proud that Leduc is taking steps to ensure housing stability and that there is a place for everyone in our community.” 

The City will receive $7.6 million through the Housing Accelerator Fund, administered by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, to fast-track several key initiatives. The community will be invited to participate in robust engagement opportunities to help ensure we find solutions that work for us all.  

Key Initiatives: 

The City will create a new Land Use Bylaw over the next two years. Four initiatives in Leduc’s Housing Accelerator Fund Action Plan could be incorporated into the new Land Use Bylaw, including: 

• Considering zoning changes to allow greater flexibility for homeowners, developers and builders;  
• Parking and transportation studies and strategies; 
• Tools to create greater variety of housing choices; and 
• The elimination of barriers that keep people from being able to live in Leduc. 

The other initiatives will focus on policy work related to housing programs and incentives that target missing housing options like suites, duplexes, triplexes, and up to and including 3-storey multi-unit housings. 

This policy work will focus on administrative improvements and efficiencies for permitting, removing development and zoning barriers for underutilized land, and creating incentives and flexibilities to stimulate non-market and rental housing opportunities. 

Background: 

• As part of the City’s recently completed Housing Strategy, a Housing Needs Assessment was completed to better understand and plan for the needs of our growing community – which is projected to exceed 40,000 people in the next five years. 
• The assessment tells us by 2029 we’ll likely see 35% more households – compared to 2021 – spending more than 30% of their income on shelter, living in units with too few bedrooms for their household size and / or living in units in need of major repair. 
• The assessment tells us there is a need for more studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. As we work to fill the gap, a significant proportion of future housing development in Leduc needs to include rentals and non-market units. 

For more information, visit www.Leduc.ca/AddressingHousingNeeds.