Alberta is proposing changes to the city charters of Calgary and Edmonton that will give the cities more power to decide on inclusive housing.
The announcement comes alongside proposals for a new funding approach to give the two cities more money for infrastructure, help them attract investment, and create jobs.
The funding would be tied to provincial revenues and would provide Edmonton and Calgary with a baseline of $500 million in the first year, split between the two cities.
“Calgary and Edmonton are home to more than half of Albertans. This framework delivers certainty to the cities and their residents by providing permanent infrastructure funding. This historic partnership provides Edmonton and Calgary with permanent funding in a fiscally responsible way the province can afford,” said Joe Ceci, President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance.
The funding would provide a new transit infrastructure for the cities and the other proposed changes to the charters would address areas including:
- Expanding the use of off-site levies in new developments.
- Developing their own inclusionary housing programs.
- Managing their own debt limits.
- Adjusting local improvement tax timeframes, and other administrative items.
If passed, the City Charters Fiscal Framework Act would replace the cities’ Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) funding when the program is complete in 2022.
