Edmonton council commissions study on infill's impact on property values in residential zones

Edmonton city council voted 9-4 Tuesday to commission a study examining how infill housing development affects property values in the RS — Small Scale Residential zone, responding to constituent concerns about potential impacts on home values and property taxes.

Ward tastawiyiniwak Councillor Karen Principe, who brought the motion, said she needed concrete data to address residents' concerns. "I attended a town hall which had many residents show up with concerns with regards to infill," she said. "Some of the concerns I was hearing was a decrease in property value yet others were concerned about increases in property taxes. It would be nice to see the hard data."

Voting against the motion were Councillors Erin Rutherford, Ashley Salvador, Jo-Anne Wright, and Keren Tang.

City Business Operations Manager Stephen Leroux cautioned that isolating infill as a single variable affecting property values is difficult. "If we're talking about a brand-new two-storey house that's being developed and on either side of it are eight-plexes, maybe that's a different story," he said. "It's also hard to separate that from the broader market effects and macroeconomic factors." Property values fluctuate annually, and a one-year drop may not indicate a trend, he added.

Ward papastew Councillor Michael Janz argued that increasing density boosts property tax revenue available for city services, which should moderate homeowners' future tax increases. He cited an earlier city report showing a $400,000 parking lot replaced with a multi-million-dollar building.

Mayor Andrew Knack said the city's data shows overall positive property-value trends over the past 10 years but acknowledged the city could communicate that better to residents. "That's real data to put publicly in front of people. It's a real issue people raise," he said.

Councillors will receive the commissioned report at an Urban Planning Committee meeting in fall 2027.