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Thanks to a series of improvements to the development review process, even more housing will be coming to Winnipeg.
“More homes, built faster, that’s the focus,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham in a news release. “After a historic year in 2025 – with the second-highest total ever for housing starts, and a potential all-time high for Downtown residential permits – we’re looking to make even more practical changes that help projects move from application to approval with more certainty.”
As part of the Housing Accelerator Fund agreement, the KPMG-led review was conducted. The review looks at the development process from when an application is submitted to when it is approved, inspected, and followed up on.
“Winnipeg must be a city where housing can be built efficiently, predictably, and with greater certainty,” said Councillor Evan Duncan, Chair of the Standing Policy Committee on Property and Development in a news release. “These improvements are about cutting red tape, improving timelines, and shifting toward a ‘yes-first’ culture — ensuring we get development projects underway faster. That’s how Winnipeg stays competitive and attracts the investment our city needs.”
Following the review, 27 recommendations were made, and 12 have been implemented or are in the process of being implemented. By following the recommendations, developers can get approvals quickly and more efficiently, making the building process faster.
Some improvements include the following:
- Digitizing development applications to reduce applicants’ time and effort
- Changing the zoning by-law to make it easier to develop “missing middle housing” city-wide and intensify development at mall sites and along major corridors
- Introducing a concurrent submission and review option for development and building permit applications that has proven to decrease average days from intake to issuance by an average of 50 percent
In March, a working group will be designed to expedite approvals for subdivision and rezoning applications.
The group was formed in partnership with the Urban Development Institute of Manitoba and other stakeholders. The goal is to bring land for housing to the market quicker than before. The groups quick improvements will lead to changes as early as summer 2026.
“Our ongoing work to help developments that are in alignment with adopted policies get approved and built faster is essential,” said Hazel Borys, Director of Planning, Property and Development in a news release. “Every improvement brings us one step closer to our housing goal. Next, we will fully rewrite Winnipeg’s two Zoning By-laws. This will be our first comprehensive update in 20 years. We’re focused on making the rules clearer and enabling development to move more quickly, with a Council-ready draft targeted for 2028.”
