Some Winnipeg city councillors were among those taking in a presentation yesterday on one possible way to spur affordable housing development.

Lissie Rappaport, a city planner, conducted research on behalf of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, and authored a report on inclusionary housing, and how it might be used in Winnipeg.

Rappaport says inclusionary zoning is a policy to stimulate affordable housing. She says whether or not Winnipeg should implement such a policy has yet to be answered, but her researched looked at how Winnipeg might go about it, should the city to go in that direction.

"I think there's definitely ways that Winnipeg can implement a policy like this that works within our local context and our local market to stimulate much needed affordable housing, and exactly what that looks like I think there's still research that needs to be done," says Rappaport.

In the words of Rappaport's report, inclusionary housing "mandates or incentivizes private developers" to build a certain number of affordable housing units within residential developments.

Rappaport says inclusionary zoning has mostly been done in fast-growing, larger metropolitan areas but slower-growing cities are getting on board.

"And the way to do that is definitely more -- not across the whole city but in more certain geographic zones, or maybe at a little bit of a lower inclusion rate, and really we just have to test what works in our market to do that. Most of those slower-growing cities are doing a feasibility study to start with that will inform the design of the policy," says Rappaport.

Point Douglas councillor Vivian Santos says she thinks inclusionary housing would be beneficial for her ward.