Affordable housing providers in Calgary are eagerly awaiting action from the city council as they prepare to discuss and debate the revamped housing strategy. The strategy, entitled ‘Home is Here – The City of Calgary’s Housing Strategy 2024-2030’, aims to tackle the issue of housing affordability and the need for more non-market affordable housing.

The public hearing for the housing strategy is scheduled to begin at the city’s Community Development committee on Thursday. The strategy consists of approximately 80 recommendations and action items that aim to address the pressures in Calgary’s housing market, the diversity of the city’s housing supply, and the growing need for more affordable housing units.

Tim Ward, the City of Calgary’s housing solutions manager, explains that when considering housing affordability, they take into account the dynamics of the housing market and whether there is a choice of housing available at a price that people can afford. When it comes to affordable housing, they focus on housing that is non-market and priced for lower-to-moderate income individuals, often with some level of government subsidy.

The need for more non-market housing was highlighted during the grand opening of a new affordable housing complex in Seton. The Norris House complex, consisting of 45 non-market townhouse units, was built in collaboration with all three levels of government and funding contributions from Resolve, a $75 million initiative from local homebuilders. The complex is almost fully occupied and is expected to be fully occupied within weeks through social services provider Closer to Home.

Bernadette Majdell, CEO of non-profit affordable housing provider HomeSpace, explains that they didn’t anticipate the need for affordable housing for families experiencing homelessness. She emphasizes that families are one of the most affected groups when it comes to the demand for affordable housing in the city.

According to city data, there are 84,600 households in Calgary struggling to afford housing, and wait lists for social housing have increased by 18% this year. Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek describes the situation as a housing crisis, stating that there are currently 235 families in the city without a home.

Patricia Jones with the Calgary Homeless Foundation reveals that their list for affordable housing has grown to approximately 1,900 people, with those requiring higher acute care for mental health and addictions falling further down the list. She hopes that the city council understands that without making changes, many people, including those known to them, will be left without a home.

The housing strategy includes several recommendations for affordable housing, such as annual investments in building non-market housing and using city-owned land for affordable housing projects. It also aims to make land available for local non-profit housing providers. The strategy sets an annual target of building 3,000 new affordable housing units in Calgary, which is on par with the number of non-market units built since 2016.

Tim Ward emphasizes that achieving this target would require significant support from the provincial and federal governments, in addition to actions outlined in the strategy. Some of the recommendations that require provincial assistance include tax breaks on properties run by non-profit affordable housing providers, among other legislative changes.

Seniors, Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon assures that almost all recommendations involving the province are up for discussion, except for rent control. He states that the Government of Alberta will not pursue rent control as it could worsen the situation for those in need, but they are open to considering solutions to address the housing problem in the province.

However, supporters of the strategy, like Chaz Smith with Be The Change YYC, express concerns that more immediate measures are necessary to address the scope of the housing crisis. Smith emphasizes the urgency of the issue, as more people are becoming homeless due to affordability concerns, including seniors seeking emergency shelter.

If the housing strategy is approved at the committee meeting, it will move to a special council meeting on Saturday for final debate and decision.