Alberta launches online portal to report homebuilding red tape

Key Takeaways:

• Alberta’s government has launched the Stop Housing Delays portal to expedite housing development by allowing developers, municipalities, and partners to report construction delays and bureaucratic red tape, aiming to speed up home-building projects.
• The government will use a collaborative, cross-departmental approach to address issues raised, potentially implementing solutions ranging from minor adjustments to larger policy reforms, ensuring that obstacles in the housing construction process are minimized.
• Alberta is experiencing a historic high in housing starts, with 33,577 new units from January to September 2024, a 35% increase over the previous year.

The Whole Story:

Alberta has launched an online portal intended to speed up housing construction across the province.

Officials say the new Stop Housing Delays online portal will allow developers, municipalities and other housing partners to report red tape and unnecessary home-building delays.

“The Stop Housing Delays portal will allow Alberta’s government to hear directly from developers, municipalities and other partners on where delays are happening in the construction process,” said Jason Nixson, Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services. “This will help identify and remove barriers, ultimately getting homes built faster and continuing Alberta’s record home-building pace.”

Once developers, municipalities or industry partners have submitted their issue using the online form, government will collect and assess the information provided. Alberta’s government says it will be taking a collaborative, cross-ministry approach to ensure the appropriate departments are working together to find solutions where possible. Solutions may range from minor changes to policy reform.

“This webpage is an excellent opportunity to gather knowledge and further eliminate red tape,” said Dale Nally, Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction. “Government has been persistent in our approach of cutting red tape and removing roadblocks, and this will help to speed up residential construction. I look forward to hearing from developers and our other partners on how we can help get projects moving and Albertans in homes.”

Officials noted that the province continues to see strong housing starts and increases. The first half of 2024 saw 9,903 apartment unit starts in the province. This marks the highest amount in any half year in Alberta’s history, breaking the previous record of 9,750 set in 1977. Albertans will benefit from 33,577 new housing starts from January through September 2024, up 35% from the same period last year. Alberta’s government remains focused on working with industry and non-profit partners to ensure that the province’s growing population has access to the housing it needs.