As the 5th largest city in Canada, Edmonton, like its fellow municipalities across the country, is experiencing a housing crisis that has been in the making for decades. On top of this, Edmonton has seen huge population growth of 5.13% in 2023 alone, and 12.6% in the last 5 years predominantly from interprovincial migration. This results in a drastic need to address growth management and housing supply to better support the people that have chosen to live in Edmonton.

In February 2024, the Federal Government awarded the City of Edmonton $175M through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)’s Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) to help address the severe housing shortage and affordability crisis in Edmonton. As part of this award, the City is required to complete a HAF Action Plan.

The City's HAF Action Plan includes 11 initiatives to incentivize and expedite housing construction in Edmonton to help the City deliver more than 5,200 new homes over-and-above what would typically be expected. It is anticipated that a total of 35,000 new homes will be permitted across Edmonton by 2026.In this presentation, background information on Edmonton’s housing need, a summary of the City’s HAF Action Plan, and particular initiatives that are tied to infrastructure and technology will be highlighted and discussed.