CALGARY — Alberta’s government has introduced new legislation aimed at accelerating housing construction, strengthening municipal governance, and increasing transparency in local decision-making.Bill 28, the Municipal Affairs and Housing Statutes Amendment Act, 2026, was tabled as a wide-ranging package designed to streamline development approvals, ensure fair property taxation, and introduce new accountability measures for municipal officials. Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams said the legislation is intended to modernize the systems that underpin local governance and community growth.“Municipal governments shape everyday life in Alberta, from the water you drink and the roads you drive to the safe, clean streets where your kids play,” Williams said. “This legislation updates those systems so communities can grow, councils can lead with clarity and Albertans can trust how their local decisions are made.” A key focus of the bill is housing. Proposed changes would streamline approvals for low-risk projects, introduce automated permitting—referred to as “Automatic Yes”—and improve transparency around approval timelines. The legislation would also clarify off-site levy rules and enable the use of community design codes to accelerate developments that meet local standards. Scott Fash, CEO of BILD Alberta, said the changes would help increase efficiency in homebuilding.“Clear rules help build vibrant communities and a more affordable future for every Albertan,” he said. .Alberta urges federal gov’t to permit nicotine pouches to be sold alongside cigarettes.The bill also proposes changes affecting education infrastructure. Charter schools would be granted the same access to municipal reserve lands as other publicly funded schools, including exemptions from off-site levies. The government says this would support greater choice in education.Additional provisions aim to support the long-term sustainability of seniors’ lodge housing and clarify how provincially approved aggregate developments interact with municipal land-use decisions. Jason Nixon, Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services, said the legislation would help maintain Alberta’s pace on housing development.“Bill 28 will help keep us there – cutting red tape, speeding up approvals, and clearing the way to get shovels in the ground and roofs over Albertans’ heads,” Nixon said. On taxation, the bill proposes measures to improve fairness and consistency by prohibiting vacancy-style taxes that penalize homeowners based on how often they use their property. It would also modernize assessment rules for industrial properties such as pipelines, wells, and railways to better reflect current technology and construction practices, while improving reporting requirements and reducing disputes. The legislation introduces a province-wide councillor accountability framework, including enforceable standards of conduct, independent third-party investigations for serious misconduct, and a formal appeals process. Matters involving pecuniary interest would continue to be handled through the courts. .Alberta Bill 25 aims to remove politics and ideology from classrooms and boost school safety .Richard Warnock, chair of the Mid-Sized Towns Mayors Caucus, welcomed the changes.“The introduction of independent investigators as part of the proposed code of conduct legislation for municipal leaders is a positive step,” he said. Bill 28 would also modify the municipal viability review process by making community votes non-binding plebiscites, allowing the province to weigh long-term sustainability and regional considerations alongside local input.To improve transparency, municipalities would be required to publicly disclose salaries above a specified threshold and ensure councillors have timely access to information. The bill would also require reporting when administrative powers are used outside existing approvals and allow municipalities to show federal policing costs as a separate line item on property tax notices. The legislation also seeks to reduce administrative burdens on Business Improvement Areas by providing greater flexibility in board appointments, notifications, and budget adjustments, while maintaining accountability.Additionally, it would give cabinet authority to establish governance frameworks for municipal public utilities, aimed at improving oversight and long-term sustainability for services such as water and wastewater systems. Bill 28 includes amendments to the Libraries Act and Libraries Regulation, allowing the minister to initiate reviews or respond to complaints related to public libraries. The changes would also enable the issuance of guidance and non-binding governance guidelines.The government says these provisions are intended to support age-appropriate access to materials containing explicit visual content. Under future regulations, access to such materials would be restricted to individuals aged 16 and older, while those 15 and under would require parental consent.
