Thunder Bay a 'top-performing city' in federal housing accelerator program: report

The City of Thunder Bay is a "top-performing city" in the federal Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) over the program's first year, a report going to city council on Monday states.

The city will receive up to $20.7 million through the fund if it meets its housing targets: that money is specifically intended to fast-track the development of more than 600 new housing units, to help the city reach a total of 1,691 new homes by February 2027.

"We had a very-successful first year implementing the housing accelerator fund program," said Summer Stevenson, HAF program manager with the city. "Thunder Bay issued permits for 355 new units, and then when we account for units lost through demolition, we hit 345 net units, which is 102 percent of our year one target, which is fantastic news."

Stevenson said top-performing cities — or cities "that both met their first year target and are on track with their approved action plan" — are eligible for further funding, although how much more funding is available is as-yet unknown.

"We have submitted a request for additional funding to support a vacant and dilapidated buildings program," Stevenson said. "This would be in addition to all of the initiatives that are already in our approved action plan."

The vacant and dilapidated buildings program would involve renovating unused buildings to create housing units, or tearing down buildings that can't be rehabilitated so the site could be used for other purposes, she said.

Stevenson said the city expects to hear back in mid-April.

"We have to wait for all municipalities to get in their annual reports before they'll make any decisions about this pool of funding," she said.

In any case, the program is moving ahead into year two, and the city will once again be accepting applications for the "Additional Dwelling Unit Grant Program, Affordable Rental Housing Funding Program, Construction Assistance Grant Program, and the Multi-Unit Residential Grant Program," the report states.

Stevenson said applications will be accepted from March 20 to April 17.

"We will also be completing a review of the additional dwelling unit program to try to look at, is this something that could exist in Thunder Bay beyond the life of the housing accelerator fund?" she said. "In addition to those grant-based programs, we'll also be looking at the infrastructure projects underway this year."

"There's three infrastructure projects that will help support our long-term housing goals, and also further work on the archaeological management plan."

In addition, the report states the city will be "administering the surplus land strategy and sale of lands for housing," and "Working with the Mayor's Taskforce on Building More Homes Advisory Committee ... to review existing grant programs and recommend potential modifications to be implemented in Year Three."

"Council can expect a report back on the programs in June 2025."

More information about the grant programs can be found on the Let's Build Thunder Bay website.