WESTLOCK — The Town of Westlock continues its focus on housing needs with a recent amendment to its operating budget.
At the April 8 regular council meeting, councillors amended the 2024 operating budget to include Housing Accelerator Fund revenue in the amount of $278,000, which is being allocated towards operating expenses in the amount of $254,800 and capital funding in the amount of $23,200.
The funding will be used to implement the town’s housing action plan with any remaining funding to be used for investments in housing-related infrastructure, such as site preparation or supporting infrastructure like roads or sidewalks.
“There’s $278,000 scheduled to be spent this year on various items including some e-permitting software, which will require $23,200 of that funding,” said director of finance Julia Seppola, noting the four-year program will invest $1.1 million into the town, divided into four annual disbursements.
The town applied for funding in August 2023 and it was approved in January 2024, with the town receiving the $1.1 million grant from the federal Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) in February. The grant from HAF is designed to incentivize secondary suites, new housing construction and spur development of affordable housing within the town. These areas and initiatives were identified as opportunities to address current and future housing needs in the community.
Director of planning and development, Danielle Pougher, also noted the grant’s role in supporting affordable housing initiatives in Westlock.
“This year’s budget is primarily going towards some start-up costs to get some incentive programs underway both for new residential construction as well as secondary, garage and garden suites,” said Pougher. “Both of those include the creation pre-approved construction plans so we’re having a local drafter do up plans that homeowners and builders can utilize for their developments.”
Pougher also pointed out that some of the funds are going to the planning and design for the new Southview subdivision project and funds will go to framework improvements of the town’s housing policies that includes the refresh on the Municipal Development Plan (MDP) and the implementation of e-permitting software “that’s intended to add some transparency as well as for online applications.”
Seppola said the e-permitting software, already approved by council, was to be funded by reserves but will now use HAF funding with the town’s funds staying in reserves.
