During the Regular Council Meeting of February 10, 2025, Salisbury Town Council approved the Town’s first-ever Residential Development Incentive Program, a municipal grant program intended to provide strategic grants to increase the diversity of housing stock within the Town.
“Like other communities, Salisbury faces unique challenges related to housing” says Mayor Robert Campbell. “Salisbury Town Council is committed to doing our part, and demonstrating to developers and residents that we are committed to being a partner in development. This grant program will help accelerate housing and growth, but also assist developers and the Town in unlocking and leveraging additional external funding to make projects more affordable.”
As part of the grant program, the Town of Salisbury will make funding available for development projects under the following streams:
- Pre-Application Grant: For projects that require preliminary work, such as engineered water studies, drainage plans, etc., up to $5,000 may be provided twice per project (up to $10,000);
- Residential Incentive Grant: up to $10,000 per unit, for a maximum of $40,000 per project, is provided for certain housing projects (including subdivisions or projects with ten units or more). This includes the basement apartment conversions, secondary suites (where zoning permits), etc.;
- Building and Development Permit Fee(s) Grant: for projects that have agreements for affordability (ie: with the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)), building permit fees will be re-imbursed;
- Sub-division Cost-Sharing Grant: Cost-share up to 25% of select municipal infrastructure (e.g.: sewer, asphalt), up to a maximum of $150,000 per project.
The Residential Development Incentive Program will operate as a pilot project, enabling the Town to make modifications as needed and/or evaluate the success of the program. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis and grants may be committed until the budgeted funds are exhausted.
In 2025, the Town has $150,000 budgeted to begin administering the program. Future budget years will be dependent on agreements signed and anticipated development. The full Policy and application process is available online here: https://salisburynb.ca/residential-incentives/.
Developers interested in learning more about if their project is eligible for an incentive under this program can contact the Town’s Chief Administrative Officer by emailing austinhenderson@salisburynb.ca.