Calgary city council voted heavily in favour of repealing blanket rezoning on Wednesday.
Council voted 12-3 to repeal the housing policy after weeks of public hearings. Councillors Myke Atkinson, Nathaniel Schmidt and Andrew Yule cast opposing votes.
Blanket rezoning is a policy that allows for more multi-unit housing types, such as rowhouses or fourplexes, on lots that were previously only zoned for single-family homes. Council heard from 411 speakers on the policy and received nearly 3,300 written submissions from residents who wanted the policy repealed, replaced or left intact.
The policy was introduced in 2024.
Mayor Jeromy Farkas supported the repeal to work toward “restoring trust” with residents. He said he’s fielded plenty of concerns from Calgarians about the process to introduce blanket rezoning, and that through public hearings he heard a desire for a reset.
“Many Calgarians felt with the previous decision to adopt blanket rezoning that it had created uncertainty and it really broke trust in the planning process,” said Farkas.
“Many Calgarians felt that something as significant as this had happened too quickly and without the communities feeling fully part of the conversation.”
Farkas ran during last fall’s municipal election on a campaign that favoured repealing and replacing blanket rezoning. He stressed he’s not satisfied with repealing the policy without introducing a replacement that can better manage growth and density in Calgary.
The change resulting from Wednesday’s vote will take effect Aug. 4, with applications received prior to that date processed using current land use rules.
Properties with housing projects approved or currently underway via blanket rezoning will be exempt from the policy changes.
Atkinson opposed the decision to repeal because he argued residents in higher density neighbourhoods are being asked to shoulder the city’s tax burden.
“They are being asked to take that on while other folks get to continue to live in a place without change,” said Atkinson.
“What are we here to do? Are we here to preserve or to steward a way to the future? And I do not believe that a repeal stewards a way forward for the future.”
Federal funding could be ‘at risk’
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) previously indicated to the City of Calgary that repealing blanket rezoning could go against the city’s Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) agreement. The city is receiving $251 million in instalments as part of the federal program to fast-track housing construction and fill housing gaps across the country.
“We continue to work with the [City of Calgary] ahead of a decision on its HAF funding,” CMHC spokesperson David Harris told CBC News in a statement after Wednesday’s decision.
“CMHC expects municipalities to fulfill their commitments and has been working closely with the city throughout this process,” Harris said. “If commitments are not met or are reversed, HAF funding is at risk. All funding decisions will be shared publicly.”