Aaron Brost says the pre-approval approach will save time and money. (Ross Lavigne/CHAT News)

By Eli J. Ridder | @EliRidder

Pre-approved building plans proposal could help tackle housing in Medicine Hat, developer says

Jan 26, 2024 | 4:15 PM

A pre-approved building program in the works at the City of Medicine Hat could be a key part of tackling the housing crisis.

That’s according to Aaron Brost, a director at BILD Medicine Hat and operations manager of Brost Developments, who said Friday he’s pleased to see the city focus on problem-solving.

“We’ve been participating in discussions around our challenges for quite some time, and we’re thrilled to see that the city has come to the table to understand and hopefully provide some solutions to the challenges,” Brost told CHAT News.

When a house or add-on to a property gets built, there are several layers of regulations in place to make sure construction is done right and up to standard.

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Having what are essentially blueprints that already meet those standards allows construction to happen easier and quicker as part of an effort to grow the housing and rental markets.

Brost said the pre-developed plans could be one of the solutions, but it will take everyone working together to solve housing affordability and supply.

“There’s several challenges pushing costs upward, this being one of them,” Brost said.

“The more people that we have engaged, the more stakeholders — [everyone] from trades to suppliers to municipalities that are involved in creating solutions, the better off we are.”

Mayor Linnsie Clark said during her state of the city speech earlier this week the pre-approved plans proposal will come before city council later this year.

Clark played a video featuring city staff talking about the proposal.

The City of Medicine Hat declined an interview request from CHAT News, saying there were not any further details to share.