MLA Report: Breaking through the bureaucratic logjam on affordable housing

By Justin Wright on September 20, 2023.

North America, Canada, Alberta, southern Alberta, Medicine Hat – everywhere and everyone is facing a housing crisis.

Rents and home prices have skyrocketed in recent years, pricing many working families out of the housing market. Millions of renters pay more than half their income on rent, leaving little left over for other necessities like food, transportation and health care.

While the need for more housing has never been greater, bureaucracy and red tape at all levels of government have stymied efforts to build more of it. Builders must navigate a maze of zoning approvals, environmental reviews, outdated building codes, exclusionary policies and not-in-my-backyard opposition. This slow, cumbersome process can add years and millions of dollars in extra costs to housing projects, if not kill them outright.

Take zoning. Most cities zone the vast majority of residential land for single-family homes only, despite the urgent need for more options like townhomes and apartment buildings. Outdated zoning makes it illegal to build more housing options for families. Or consider height limits that prohibit anything taller than 2-3 stories. Much of our zoning rulebook is stuck in the 1950s when cities were designed around cars, not people, and affordable housing.

Environmental reviews, while important, are another bureaucratic hurdle when taken to extremes. In places, the environmental review process for new housing can drag on for years and cost big dollars in consultant fees per project. Excessive reviews should be streamlined.

Our United Conservative government has done a tremendous job cutting red tape since 2019, eliminating more than 27 per cent of burdensome regulatory requirements and saving Albertans an estimated $2.1 billion. But more needs to be done. As we continue to focus on reducing red tape, which will help facilitate more housing development, we encourage all other levels of government to do the same. We all must demand more streamlined approval and review process that balance affordability and the environment.

Housing is a right for all Albertans. With bold, urgent action to cut through bureaucracy and restrictive policies, we can ensure everyone has access to a safe, affordable place to call home.

Justin Wright is the MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat

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