Maple Ridge, B.C., February 28, 2025— The City of Maple Ridge welcomes the announcement today awarding the City $16.6 million in funding from the Government of Canada’s Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) to fast track the growing housing needs in the community.
HAF, administered by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), supports municipalities in adopting innovative solutions to increase housing supply. The City’s HAF application targets infrastructure investments and modernizing housing policies and development processes.
"Securing this important funding will significantly accelerate our efforts to address housing needs in Maple Ridge,” said Mayor Ruimy. “By advocating for our community, we demonstrated how strategic investments in our city will support regional growth and development. This funding will allow us to streamline housing approvals, incorporate new technologies, and enhance transit-oriented development in the Lougheed corridor. It will also help us build the critical infrastructure—roads, bridges, recreational facilities, and fire halls—that lays the foundation for new homes. We are grateful to the federal government and CMHC for their support and investing in our city’s future."
The City’s HAF Action Plan includes implementing 22 new and ongoing actions across seven initiatives.
Key initiatives include:
- Streamlining Development Processes: Reviewing and improving processes for rezoning and subdivision approvals and building permits to make approvals faster and more efficient.
- Modernizing and Digitizing Permit Processes: Digitizing application processes to make permit applications easier, improve efficiency, and reduce delays.
- Promoting More Housing Choices and Affordability: Simplifying and prioritizing the approval process for different housing types, introducing B.C.'s first housing concierge service to guide applicants, and new Certified Professional Program to expedite permits for complex projects.
- Providing Pre-Approved Building Plans: Making it easier for homeowners to add secondary suites and other accessory dwellings.
- Optimizing City Land for Affordable Housing: Strategically adjusting land use and zoning to support the development of more affordable housing.
- Exploring Incentives for Affordable Housing: Encouraging development of non-market and targeted housing options.
- Parking and Mobility Review to Support Transit-Oriented Development: Review parking requirements as a targeted financial incentive for affordable housing and purpose-built rental homes to reimagine the Town Centre.
Housing Action Plan
With this funding, the City has committed to fast-tracking 480 additional homes in the next three years, which will spur the construction of 1525 homes in the next 10 years. These units will include primarily multi-unit homes near rapid transit and “missing middle” (e.g., townhouses, duplexes) and affordable housing units.
Progress on Housing Priorities
The City has already made significant progress in addressing housing challenges through innovative policies and transforming its development and permitting processes to make building homes quicker and easier in Maple Ridge. The new funding will help accelerate the implementation of the HAF priorities, many of which are already underway. Through the Maple Ridge Moves Plan, the City continues to advocate to other levels of government for crucial infrastructure improvements, including the widening of Abernethy Way, the construction of a new 240 Street bridge, and the implementation of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on Lougheed Highway.
About the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF)
Launched in March 2023, HAF is a national initiative led by CMHC to fast-track the development of 100,000 new housing units nationwide. The program funds local governments to help create walkable, amenity-rich communities with accessible public and active transportation. The first round of funding totalled $4 billion, and Budget 2024 added $400 million to this program.
For more information on the City’s housing initiatives and updates on the Housing Accelerator Fund projects, please visit MapleRidge.ca/Housing.
For additional information, contact Katerina Anastasiadis, Manager of Intergovernmental Affairs, KAnastasiadis@MapleRidge.ca or 604-467-7398.
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Media Contact
Pardeep Purewal, Senior Manager Corporate Communications and Public Engagement
T 604 466 4319 C 778 955 4249 E Media@MapleRidge.ca