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By rdnewsNOW staff

Overall increase

Province launches new online portal to help reduce delays in house construction

Nov 14, 2024 | 11:13 AM

The Government of Alberta is making moves to help reduce delays in housing construction in the province.

On Wednesday they announced they’re working to streamline processes by launching a new online portal called Stop Housing Delays.

The portal is now available for municipal authorities and developers to help point out areas that are delaying efficient housing construction.

“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 Nixon, Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services in a media release.

“This will help identify and remove barriers, ultimately getting homes built faster and continuing Alberta’s record home-building pace.”

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To make a report, those hoping to do so can fill out an online form and once it’s submitted, the government will assess the information provided.

In their assessment, the provincial government describes the process as a collaborative, cross ministry approach to make sure the right departments are working as one to find solutions to each submission.

The solutions may range from minor changes to a complete policy reform.

“This webpage is an excellent opportunity to gather knowledge and further eliminate red tape. Government has been persistent in our approach of cutting red tape and removing roadblocks, and this will help to speed up residential construction,” said Dale Nally, Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction

“I look forward to hearing from developers and our other partners on how we can help get projects moving and Albertans in homes.”

The province as a whole is beginning to see an increase in housing construction.

From January to September 2024, the province built 33,577 province-wide compared to the 24,904 built during that same time frame in 2023 — a 35 per cent increase.

Red Deer saw a 115 per cent increase after 314 houses were built compared to the 146 last year. Lethbridge saw an even bigger increase at 305 per cent following the construction of 599 houses from the 148 in 2023.

In the first half of 2024, there were 9,903 apartment unit starts in Alberta, which is the highest amount in any half year in the province’s history, breaking the previous record of 9,750 set in 1977.

Over the last five years, the province has invested $850 million to build over 5,100 units and nearly 900 shelter spaces, which includes some that are still in progress, the government notes.

In addition, the government says it is supporting $9 billion in investments into affordable housing to build 25,000 low-income households by 2031.

“This portal is a valuable tool for industry to highlight gaps, barriers and delays that may need to be prioritized and addressed by either local or provincial governments,” said Scott Fash, chief executive officer, BILD Alberta Association.

“Real solutions can only emerge through transparency, open communication and collaboration. This is an important step toward identifying the unique challenges each region and municipality faces in delivering attainable housing.”

The portal can be found at alberta.ca.