Winnipeg city council approved a package of sweeping housing zoning reforms overnight after days of debate.

Council members proposed dozens of amendments in a hearing that went late into the night Thursday, but the reforms council approved did not change substantially from what city staff had recommended.

Property owners can now build up to four units on all housing lots in the city, and buildings up to four storeys can be constructed within 800 metres of frequent transit, without the need for a public hearing, as long as they meet certain design standards.

Critics of the changes say they take away the right of people to have a say on developments in their neighbourhoods.

But Mayor Scott Gillingham said the city needed to make these changes to qualify for $450 million in federal housin

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