Housing Action Plan

The Downtown Event and Entertainment District Plan will implement land use and zoning amendments and public realm enhancements intended to promote housing development in the City's Downtown.

The new Downtown Event and Entertainment District will bring new life and energy to Downtown by incorporating a mix of uses that support a complete community. A vibrant Downtown attracts more people to live Downtown by creating a sense of community that provides a place for people to come together. For more information, please visit the Downtown Event & Entertainment District page.

New corridor zoning districts enabling Transit-Oriented Development were introduced as part of the Corridor Planning Program in July 2023. The City will be implementing these new zoning districts by rezoning properties within the Corridor Areas to provide for development as-of-right.

On June 28, 2024, City Council approved changes to the Official Community Plan to implement new land use designations. These changes will allow for a mix of land uses and densities in the city’s Corridor Growth Area. While City Council has approved these amendments, approval from the Government of Saskatchewan is required before these amendments are in effect. View the Corridor Growth Boundary and Land Use Amendments report.

This initiative supports the objectives of the HAF by creating a zoning framework for development in proximity to the City's planned Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. This change will help shift the balance of development towards infill which supports climate resilience, will help to support transit and our city to grow in a more efficient way, thereby providing for affordable, inclusive, equitable and diverse communities. For more information, please visit the Corridor Land Use and Rezoning and Station Mixed Use Rezoning pages.

Reduce parking requirements with a focus on affordable housing development and remove parking requirements within the Corridor Growth Area. For more information, please visit the Minimum Parking Requirements page.

The amendments to the  Official Community Plan (OCP) and Zoning Bylaw will promote accessory dwelling units in existing neighbourhoods which help to limit sprawl and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by providing for new units in areas with existing infrastructure.

On April 24, 2024, the following OCP and Zoning Bylaw amendments were approved to eliminate barriers for accessory dwelling units: 

• OCP Amendments 
  • Permitting a garden or garage suite accessory to a semi-detached dwelling or a two-unit dwelling. 
• Zoning Bylaw Amendments 
  • Remove restriction on where the entrance of a secondary suite can be located on the principal dwelling. 
  • Allow garden and garage suites as permitted accessory uses to two-unit dwellings and semi-detached dwellings. 
  • Allow a secondary suite and a garden or garage suite to be on the same site. 
  • Remove off-street parking requirements for both secondary suites and garden and garage suites.  
  • Remove the two bedroom maximum for both secondary suites and garden and garage suites. 
  • Permit a garden or garage suite to be attached to one other garden or garage suite on an adjacent site where there is access to a rear lane and increase height for a garage suite to 6.5 metres. 
  • Remove off-street parking requirement for short-term rentals and homestays.

View Community Feedback

Develop a standardized and consistent approach for supportive housing zoning regulations as well as identify and potentially implement tools that would enable additional flexibility for these uses.

Supportive housing has many community benefits and is integral to building complete communities. Supportive housing provides on-site support to ensure people can achieve and maintain housing stability and have the choice to live in neighbourhoods they have a connection with. For more information, please visit saskatoon.ca/engage/RCH.

Create a new development incentives program that aligns with the City's priorities for growth and development.

This initiative supports the objectives of the HAF by creating incentives for developments that align with the City's priorities including affordable housing, missing middle development along rapid transit corridors, development of the Downtown into a complete community and brownfield redevelopment. For more information, see the "HAF Incentives" section above and refer to this approval report.

Saskatoon Fire is exploring a bylaw which will disincentivize vacant lots/underutilized properties. The goal is to help with the availability and affordability of housing stock on the market by creating a disincentive for homeowners to keep their properties vacant for the long term.

Vacant and derelict properties have the capacity to negatively impact and damage the quality of surrounding neighbourhoods and communities. The development of these sites can act as a catalyst in revitalization. It can help make these areas attractive places to live, work and socialize in, supporting economic and social growth and contributing to the creation of more sustainable communities.

Saskatoon Fire is exploring options to co-locate new fire halls with affordable housing and/or supportive housing.

This initiative supports the HAF objectives by optimizing the use of land through co-location of housing and fire halls. These new units would be for affordable housing and/or supportive housing.

This initiative will focus on increasing the supply of affordable housing in strategic areas by developing City-owned properties with a focus on providing affordable housing options.

By developing properties that are in City ownership, focus can be on developing properties that support City and Housing Accelerator Fund priorities. Development of these properties will be focused on increasing the supply of affordable housing.

Create opportunities to embed partnerships, reconciliation, equity, diversity and inclusion to support housing providers in preserving and increasing the stock of affordable housing. This work will be supported through the development of the Housing Strategy.

Building and elevating partnerships with housing providers and other stakeholders can yield innovative approaches that create more affordable housing options for residents. Creating more housing options helps create inclusive communities and adds to the overall health and wellbeing of City residents. Further, increasing housing options helps reduce demand on emergency services, hospitals and other facilities by providing stable and affordable housing options for those most in need.

Partner with all levels of government and community partners to develop complex care housing. This work will be supported through the development of the Housing Strategy.

Complex care housing provides an enhanced level of integrated health and social supports for vulnerable populations. Increasing complex care housing options helps reduce demand on emergency services, hospitals, shelters and other facilities by providing stable housing options for those most in need.

At its meeting in November 2023, City Council approved the addition of this initiative. Two milestones are included in this initiative:

1. The first milestone of this initiative would be to initiate the process to amend the Zoning Bylaw to permit four units as-of-right city-wide. 
2. The second milestone would be to initiate the process to amend the Zoning Bylaw to allow for multiple-unit residential development within 800 metres of the BRT corridors as-of-right (within the "Transit Development Area").

The City will also be reviewing the current infill zoning regulations. This project is anticipated to be completed by mid-2025.

At its meeting in November 2023, City Council approved the addition of this initiative.

Administration will work to increase housing density within walking distance of post-secondary institutions by partnering with the University of Saskatchewan to develop student housing in the College Quarter development area.

• Implement new High-Density Mixed-Use Land Use Designation in the Official Community Plan.
• Implement changes to development approval processes for affordable housing projects that are consistent with the Official Community Plan.

The Affordable Housing Incentives provide funding for the construction of new affordable rental units, including affordable rental units within mixed market developments. Total funding for Affordable Housing Incentives for $13.284 million was approved by City Council on September 25, 2024. The funds will be allocated toward 18 projects for the development of 492 new affordable rental units.

Please see the Affordable Housing Incentives page for details.

A Building and Development Permit fee rebate of up to $1,500 per dwelling unit is available for projects that receive a Certificate of Completion between December 21, 2023 and December 21, 2026. Eligible projects are:

• Multiple unit dwellings with five (5) or more units that are located within the Transit Development Area.
  • Note: Buildings in a dwelling group which is located within the Transit Development Area are eligible, except for one- and two-unit dwellings in a dwelling group.
• All dwelling units which meet the definition of an affordable dwelling unit citywide.

Should multiple Building Permits be required on a single site, rebates will be issued once all Building Permits on the site have been closed.

Administration will review eligible permits bi-annually and advise applicants of their eligibility. To inquire about the rebate outside of this review, please email zoningbylaw@saskatoon.ca.

• City Council - May 31, 2023 Housing Accelerator Fund
• City Council - November 22, 2023 Housing Accelerator Fund 
  • includes letter from the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities dated October 16, 2024
• Standing Policy Committee on Planning, Development and Community Services - March 6, 2024 Housing Accelerator Fund Budget Adjustments