Regina’s mayor is optimistic about a new initiative from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) aimed at boosting social housing by encouraging cities to adopt a land bank strategy. Mayor Chad Bachynski said Regina is a founding participant in From the Ground Up, an FCM initiative that calls on cities to identify available land in their jurisdictions with a commitment from local government to develop it into housing.
What Is the Land Bank Strategy?
A municipal land bank involves a city or municipality taking ownership of unused public lands or vacant properties to develop into below-market or accessible housing. Regina established its own land bank in 2024, using funding from the federal Housing Accelerator Fund and aligning with the North Central Revitalization Initiative currently being drafted.
Encouraging Other Municipalities
Announced during FCM’s annual convention in Edmonton from June 4-7, From the Ground Up aims to compile a “national picture” of housing-ready lots, according to FCM’s website. Bachynski said the goal is to inspire more cities to consider the land bank model. “It’s an exciting initiative,” he told reporters after returning from the conference. “It’s really a call on other municipalities to get on board with some of the work that we’re doing here in Regina, in trying to find more creative ways that we can provide below-market housing, which is desperately needed in many communities across the country.”
Building a Case for Federal Funding
Beyond encouraging cities, Bachynski said the initiative also aims to demonstrate to the federal government the need for a dedicated funding stream to support municipal land banks as a solution for the national housing shortage. “The more people we have on board, the more we can advocate and potentially firm up that type of program,” he said.
Progress in Regina
As of November 2025, Regina had collected 16 properties for future housing development. Most recently, the city established land trusts in the North Central and Heritage neighbourhoods to help guide the next steps. Bachynski emphasized that the land bank approach is a creative way to address the urgent need for affordable housing across Canada.
