City Council Highlights

Below are some of the highlights from the June 2024 Council and Committee meetings. The full reports can be found at saskatoon.ca/meeting.

Housing Accelerator Fund – Bylaw Changes

City Council spent two full days hearing from public speakers and administration, and then deliberated the possible bylaw changes that were ultimately approved.

The changes approved will: 

• Permit 4 units as of right on lots that are a minimum of 15 metres (50 feet) wide, subject to development regulations 
• Allow 4 storey residential development on lots that are a minimum 15m wide within 800m of BRT stops, subject to development regulations
• Streamlining process for residential care homes to a maximum of 15 people. 

Through negotiations with the Federal Government, we were able to get a plan that better fits Saskatoon’s needs.

• Concentrating most of the allowed 4 storey density development within the first 250 m of a BRT corridor. 
• 4 storey developments within the wider 800m of BRT stops will be limited to arterial and collector streets, minimizing the impacts of potential development on streets in the hearts of neighbourhoods. 

These changes allow for Saskatoon to access more than $41.3 million, helping fast track 940 new housing units to be built in the next 3 years, in addition to what was already planned. 

Through an initial Call for Proposals, project applications for over 600 affordable housing units were received.

Saskatoon has been facing a housing and supply crisis, affordability crisis, inflation crisis, and homelessness crisis. We need more housing options for students, seniors, and families and these bylaw changes will help increase much needed housing supply. 

• Demand is outpacing supply resulting in increased costs to purchase or rent a home. 
• In 2023, Saskatoon added 14,000 people but only had 2500 new homes built. 
• The vacancy rate has dropped below 2% and is around 1% in some areas.
•  The costs of rent have risen 9% in just the last year alone. 
• The City has a target for balanced growth, yet only 15% of growth has been infill growth in the past 5 years. 
• Continuing to grow the city by building outward, rather than building in existing neigbourhoods is driving up property taxes and adding millions of dollars of infrastructure and services that will only get more costly to maintain for the City.

In other cities where similar measures have been implemented, such as Kelowna or Minneapolis, there has not been any drastic changes. The change occurring is gradual as lots can only be developed by an interested owner, within a specific-site criteria, and must also make economic sense to change the residential development. Our existing neighborhoods already have a mix of density within them, from small apartment complexes within residential streets in Nutana or Caswell Hill, to numerous townhouse developments in newer neighbourhoods like Willowgrove and Brighton. 

The next step in the Housing Accelerator Fund process will be contemplating the reduction or removal of Minimum Parking Requirements. This will occur at a July 31st Public Hearing. You can find more information on the proposed bylaw changes here: https://www.saskatoon.ca/engage/minimum-parking-requirements

Request to Receive Proposals for Sale of City-Owned Land

As part of the Housing Accelerator Fund, Council approved 4 City-owned lots to be made available for housing developments. The 4 sites are currently either vacant or parking lots. The lots will be listed in a variety of ways from open-market, discounted market rate, and a no-reserve nominal value sale price. 

If an acceptable proposal for any of the sites is not received through the original offer period, proposals can continue to be received on a first-come, first-served basis until an acceptable proposal consistent with the overall goal of selling City-owned land to support affordable housing units under the Housing Accelerator Program is received.

All bid proposals will be evaluated on filling affordable housing needs (types of units, priority population groups), affordability tenure, affordability depth as a priority.

Community Energy Loan Programs – Additional Program Options

Building on the success of the Home Energy Loan Program, Council has extended and expanded this initiative from strictly single-family residential units to include some Multi Unit Developments and Commercial properties for the first time. 

The balanced option approach will include an additional 240 single family residential units to the existing program and add 6 Multi-Unit Residential Buildings and 18 Commercial buildings that are available to be upgraded. 

The projected GHG reduction once these projects would be completed is 2,163 tonnes CO2e. This is the equivalent of removing 515 gas-powered engine vehicles from the road, or the equivalent of over 2.3 million pounds of coal being burned. 

This program benefits the residents who will find energy efficiencies and monthly savings on utilities, local contractors and employees completing the upgrades, it lowers community emissions, and generates a small surplus to the City.

Saskatoon Transit – Implementing Free Child Fare

Council approved free child fare on Saskatoon Transit for students in grade 8 and under. Free child fare will be implemented for the new school year beginning in September 2024. 

We are now a city that has just passed a population of 300,000 people. This is the point where cities need to have improved and more reliable public transit. The City has approved Community Support Officers to help improve safety for Saskatoon Transit on routes starting July 1. We have also secured the funding from the provincial and federal governments to proceed with the Bus Rapid Transit. For our public transit system to be successful well into the future, we need to help create a new generation of riders. 

The intent of implementing free child fare in September 2024 is to have no impact on Saskatoon Transit’s 2024 revenue budget. If there is an impact in 2024, it will be reported back for future budget deliberations.

Harry Bailey Aquatic Centre Rehabilitation and Upgrades

Renovations will soon begin for the Harry Bailey Aquatic Centre. Council approved a budget adjustment that will enable final project costs to be covered and allow renovations to proceed. 

This is an important facility in the community to provide recreational opportunities. Inflationary and budgetary challenges have forced the scope of this project back, but with this funding we can finally move forward to have renovations bring this facility back into operations in 2026 for many decades to come.