REGINA — New housing development in Regina continues to increase year-over-year.
Stats from the Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation (CMHC) reported the city saw 1,687 housing starts in 2025, up from 1,223 in 2024. This represents a near 40 per cent increase year-over-year.
Stu Niebergall, president and CEO of the Regina and Region Home Builders' Association, said the city changing it's public policy decision has played a role in the uptick.
“That was about changing zoning bylaws, about fast-tracking permits. And we were fortunate here in Regina that leading up to the housing accelerator fund (HAF) the city decided to work on changing those bylaws.”
The HAF has played a role in cutting red tape and fast-tracking housing development.
A report published on Thursday by CHMC said HAF has incentivized over 2,000 units in Saskatchewan for 2023.
Regina has used HAF funding to fast-track more than 1,000 housing units in the coming years and to establish a Community Land Trust (CLT) for affordable housing projects in North Central.
“The HAF policy can help ensure that the supply of housing is always slightly ahead of the demand for housing. That's where you're going to find … improved affordability,” said Niebergall.
In terms of the city’s own progress report, Mayor Chad Bachynski shared stats on his social media for permits issued in 2025.
Overall, 2,820 new building permits were issued in 2025, a nine per cent increase from 2024. Of those, 1,670 were new dwelling units.
“The 2025 building permit stats paint a clear picture: our city is growing, and we are actively supporting that growth through efficient services, strategic incentives and digital innovation,” said Bachynski in the post.
A majority of the new developments in the city are occurring in greenfield developments. These include the neighbourhoods of Westerra and Coopertown.
On the flip side, infill developments continue to lag, but Niebergall said this shouldn’t be a concern.
“It’s about people coming to our community knowing that they've got options,” he noted.
For 2026, the Regina and Region Home Builders' Association is projecting home builds in the city to be anywhere from 1,300 to 1,700.
