Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) – Program Overview
The Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) is a federal program administered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) that provides funding to municipalities to support actions that accelerate housing supply. The program focuses on removing policy, regulatory, and process barriers to housing development, particularly those that enable a wider range of housing types and faster delivery timelines.
The City of Dawson submitted its Housing Accelerator Fund application with six initiatives aimed at increasing housing supply, improving development processes, and enabling more diverse and attainable housing options in the community. Dawson was one of the successful applicants and was awarded $1,037,892 in HAF funding. A formal funding agreement between the City of Dawson and CMHC was signed on December 29, 2023.
As implementation progressed, the City exceeded the number of housing units originally estimated under the program. As a result, during the annual reporting period, the City applied for additional funding under Round 2 of the HAF program, proposing two new initiatives to further support housing delivery. The City of Dawson was successful in this application and received an additional $118,000, bringing the total HAF funding to $1,155,892.
The City of Dawson’s Housing Accelerator Fund progress is publicly available through CMHC’s HAF reporting portal.
The following sections provide updates on each HAF initiative and outline the progress made to date.
Initiative 1: E-Permitting System
Status: Completed
As part of its Housing Accelerator Fund initiatives, the City of Dawson implemented an electronic permitting system for Development Permit applications through CloudPermit. This system modernizes the application process by allowing applicants to submit, track, and manage their applications online, resulting in a faster and more efficient review process.
The e-permitting system reduces back-and-forth communication by requiring mandatory fields and document uploads at the time of submission, ensuring that complete applications are received upfront. It also enables secure online payments using credit cards, eliminating the need for applicants to attend City Hall in person. Together, these improvements reduce administrative delays, improve customer service, and support faster housing approvals.
Initiative 2: GIS Implementation
Status: Completed (Ongoing Enhancement)
The City of Dawson has implemented Esri ArcGIS, a Geographic Information System (GIS) platform that allows the City to map, manage, and analyze land-related information in a single, integrated system. ArcGIS supports interactive mapping and brings together spatial data such as property boundaries, zoning, servicing, and development constraints in a visual and easy-to-use format.
For the Planning Department, this system significantly improves efficiency by consolidating information that was previously stored across multiple land files, digital records, and maps. Staff can now access key planning and development information in one place, reducing review time and supporting more informed and timely decision-making.
While the system has been fully implemented and populated with core data, GIS is an evolving tool. Additional datasets will continue to be added over time, and maps will be regularly updated to reflect new development and policy changes. This ongoing enhancement ensures the system remains accurate, relevant, and supportive of long-term housing and planning objectives.
Initiative 3: Incentive Policy for Duplex and Multi-Unit Residential Development
Status: Completed
This initiative focused on strengthening the City’s incentive framework to better support missing-middle housing, including duplexes and multi-unit residential development. The intent was to create a more efficient and targeted policy that provides meaningful support for housing types that help increase density while fitting within Dawson’s community character.
In 2024, the incentive policy was comprehensively overhauled to improve clarity, efficiency, and effectiveness. The updated policy was adopted by Council on August 20, 2024 and now provides clear direction on eligible project types, how funds may be used, and the objectives the incentives are intended to achieve. This streamlined approach improves transparency for applicants and enables the City to better align funding with housing outcomes.
Initiative 4: City-Owned Lands Identification and Disposition Protocol
Status: Completed (Ongoing Implementation)
This initiative focused on developing a clear and consistent approach to identifying City-owned properties with potential for housing development, as well as properties with no development potential that should be removed from the municipal inventory. Studies were undertaken to assess City-owned lands based on location, servicing, and development feasibility.
As a result of this work, several parcels with housing potential were identified. One parcel was offered to the Klondike Development Organization for the construction of an affordable six-plex. One parcel was identified for mixed-use development and is being advanced through a Request for Proposals (RFP) process. Several additional parcels were identified as suitable for multi-unit residential development in partnership with the Northern Community Land Trust.
At the same time, hundreds of City-owned parcels were identified as having no development potential. Work is currently underway to resurvey these parcels and remove them from the municipal land inventory, improving land management efficiency and ensuring City resources are focused on properties that can meaningfully contribute to housing supply.
Initiative 5: Heritage Management Plan and Heritage Bylaw Update
Status: Drafted – Pending Adoption
This initiative focuses on updating the City’s Heritage Management Plan and Heritage Bylaw to improve efficiency, modernize heritage design guidance, and better align heritage protection with housing delivery objectives. The updated documents are intended to streamline review processes, provide clearer expectations for applicants, and better reflect current construction practices while respecting Dawson’s unique heritage character.
Both the Heritage Management Plan and the associated Design Guidelines have been fully drafted and are awaiting formal adoption, which is contingent on the adoption of the new Official Community Plan. In the interim, the updated Heritage Management Plan is being applied informally to assess how the revised approach can support more efficient approvals and accelerate housing development.
More information about this initiative and the review process is available here.
Initiative 6: Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw Review
Status: Drafted – Pending Adoption
This initiative involves a comprehensive review and update of the City of Dawson’s Official Community Plan (OCP) and Zoning Bylaw to better enable housing delivery, support a broader range of housing types, and modernize land use regulations. Together, these documents establish the long-term policy framework and regulatory tools that guide growth and development in Dawson.
Both the OCP and Zoning Bylaw have been fully drafted and have advanced through initial stages of the adoption process. Final adoption is pending completion of required consultation and subsequent Council readings. Once adopted, the updated bylaws are expected to significantly reduce regulatory barriers, provide clearer development direction, and support faster and more predictable housing approvals.
More information on the OCP and Zoning Bylaw review, including background materials and engagement details, is available here.
Initiative 7: Development Grants for Missing Middle, Garden Suites, and Affordable Housing
Status: Completed
This initiative was designed to provide financial incentives to support missing-middle housing, garden suites, and affordable rental units. Based on an assessment of local construction costs and the limited funding available through the program, the City determined that the incentive would be most effective if targeted to garden suite construction, where the grant amount could meaningfully reduce cost barriers and directly enable new housing units.
In 2025, the City issued a call for applications for three one-time grants of $20,000 each to support garden suite development. Applications were received and evaluated in accordance with the program criteria, and successful applicants have been notified. Construction of the approved garden suites is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, providing additional rental housing at affordable rates and contributing to Dawson’s long-term housing supply.
Initiative 8: Interactive Zoning Bylaw and Design Guidelines
Status: Completed – Pending Public Launch
This initiative focuses on improving public access to planning information by creating an interactive mapping platform and user-friendly digital versions of the Zoning Bylaw and Heritage Design Guidelines. The goal is to allow residents, builders, and developers to easily view parcel-specific information, including zoning regulations, applicable development rules, and City infrastructure, through an interactive map interface.
In addition, the City has converted the Zoning Bylaw and Heritage Design Guidelines into interactive, web-based formats, replacing lengthy PDF documents with searchable and easy-to-navigate online tools. The technical work for this initiative has been completed, and the platform will be publicly launched once the Official Community Plan, Zoning Bylaw, and Heritage documents are formally adopted.
Moving Forward
Through the Housing Accelerator Fund, the City of Dawson has made significant progress in modernizing planning processes, removing barriers to housing development, and enabling new housing opportunities that respond to local needs. These initiatives focus on long-term system improvements that support faster approvals, clearer regulations, and a wider range of housing options.
The City will continue to implement and refine these initiatives, track outcomes, and report progress to CMHC and the public as projects advance. Together, these efforts help ensure that Dawson is better positioned to support sustainable growth and housing availability for years to come.