On November 1, the Government of Alberta released Stronger Foundations: Alberta’s 10-year strategy to improve and expand affordable housing.

Key highlights of the announcement from the government that may be of interest to residents:

Over the next 10 years, the province will take bold action to build an affordable housing system that is flexible and adaptable to local needs, fair, inclusive and sustainable, and provide more affordable housing options that meet the needs of Albertans with low income. The strategy outlines how the province has set a target to serve 82,000 households – an increase of more than 40 per cent over 10 years – through five key action areas:

• • Support Albertans most in need,
  • Improve access,
  • Increase governance and planning,
  • Enhance sustainability and efficiency, and
  • Enable growth and investment.

Of special note for residents, actions under the strategy intend to make it simpler for residents to access and navigate housing supports, and make sure there are more options and more flexibility in how residents meet their individual needs. This includes helping residents improve their personal situations as they work toward housing independence where possible.

Initiatives that may be of interest to residents include:

• • The Government of Alberta will make it easier for Albertans to find housing options, understand the eligibility criteria, and connect with a housing provider. This includes continued investment in the Find Housing online tool and making the eligibility rules more fair for everyone.
  • The government will work with housing providers to provide local housing solutions to meet a range of needs – from the most vulnerable households to those with more moderate needs.
  • Mixed-income housing approaches will be the focus in planning for new developments. Mixed-income housing lets residents pay rent at a price that makes sense for their individual situations. Instead of moving if their finances change, they can simply pay an adjusted price.
  • The government plans to expand its redesigned Rent Supplement Program. Through that program, tenants can use the benefit to afford market units if they choose, so they aren’t limited to designated affordable housing units.

The Government of Alberta stated they “will proceed thoughtfully and carefully and will continue to protect the most vulnerable to ensure they are not left behind”.

You can learn more about the strategy online at: alberta.ca/stronger-foundations-affordable-housing-strategy.aspx.

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Province Accepts Recommendations – New Strategy to be Released in Spring 2021

Significant changes may be on the horizon for the organization, operation, and funding of affordable housing in Alberta. The potential for these changes is contained in 19 recommendations of a report released and endorsed by the government of Alberta on December 11.

There are 19 recommendations for Alberta’s affordable housing system contained in the final report of the Alberta Affordable Housing Review Panel which was released Dec. 11.

Download the panel report

The report identifies a number of principles on which the recommendations are based. These include: bold action, fairness, equity and inclusiveness, one size does not fit all, and efficiency, sustainability and financial responsibility.

“The panel’s recommendations focused on shifting the province’s role from owner and controller to that of partner and funder, changing programs to support Albertans, not buildings; drawing on local and private sector expertise to provide more housing options; and updating regulations to encourage innovation and reduce administrative red tape.” said the government in its announcement.

The recommendations can be summarized as:

• Develop a provincial strategic plan for housing.
• Create a plan to manage and transfer provincially owned-land and buildings.
• Build the capacity of housing providers.
• Provide a rent subsidy for Albertans who need temporary support but are not eligible for existing programs.
• Support innovative approaches to housing, such as mixed-income, mixed-use.
• Simplify processes for applicants, tenants and housing operators.

In releasing the report, the province accepted all 19 recommendations and indicated “work is already underway on a strategy to outline a shared vision for affordable housing and to map out when and how the government will act on the panel’s advice”. A strategy is to be released in Spring 2021.

“Affordable housing is critical to create inclusive communities and is part of Alberta’s Recovery Plan to guide economic prosperity. Advice from the Affordable Housing Review Panel will help the government renew the provincial affordable housing system – which has not changed structurally for more than two decades – so it can better serve Albertans in need and make the best use of taxpayer dollars,” said Josephine Pon, Minister of Seniors and Housing.

In response to the report and the recommendations, Calgary Housing Company reiterated the critical importance of affordable housing for thousands of Calgary families and individuals and the importance of finding ways to increase the amount of affordable housing in the community.

“We thank the Panel for their work and applaud the Government of Alberta for prioritizing affordable housing,” said CHC President Sarah Woodgate, “We look forward to continuing to work closely with the province to ensure we can collectively meet the needs of Calgarians to live with dignity in a home they can afford.”

Earlier this year, CHC and The City made formal submissions to the panel.

CHC’s submission had four key recommendations:

1. That the province invest in maintaining existing affordable housing
2. Support for new mixed-rent housing models through operating agreements that provide adequate operating funding, predictable capital funding for new housing, and exemption from property tax for non-profit housing providers
3. Funding for rent supplements
4. A review of social housing regulations to reduce red tape and make the system more responsive to citizen needs

The City of Calgary submission had three primary recommendations:

1. Uphold Provincial obligations for affordable housing through investment in the sector
   1. Capital funding for new building and transfer of viable assets at below-market values
   2. Property tax exemptions for non-profit housing providers and income tax modernization
   3. Partnering with municipal and Federal governments to streamline funding program applications
2. Create a citizen-centric housing system
3. Help facilitate private sector involvement

Read about the CHC and City submissions and view supporting documents here: CHC Story on Panel Submissions

Both submissions also endorsed the COVID-19 Community Affordable Housing Advocacy Plan that calls for $590M in funding over the next three years to create more than 5,000 new affordable homes in Calgary. That plan, developed by a committee representing more than 40 Calgary organizations including private, public and non-profit sector participants, includes a call for $240M in funding for 22 shovel-ready projects that would provide over 1,800 new homes as well as another $275M over three years to trigger $350M in federal funding that would result in an additional 3,300 affordable homes.

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Calgary Housing Company (CHC) and The City of Calgary clearly stated their priorities for affordable housing in submissions to the government of Alberta’s Affordable Housing Review Panel at the end of August.

Announced at the beginning of the summer, the Panel was tasked with identifying ways to make affordable housing more efficient and effective and to evaluate legislation, funding and operating methods. The panel invited input from all Albertans.

Both The City and CHC submissions called for increased investment in building and maintaining affordable housing and systemic changes to make the system more sustainable and responsive to the needs of Albertans living on low and moderate incomes.

“Affordable housing is an essential form of social infrastructure,” said CHC President Sarah Woodgate in her letter accompanying CHC’s submission to the Panel, “(it) demands a significant recommitment by the Provincial government.”

Mayor Naheed Nenshi was equally direct in his submission.

“The accountability for ensuring all Albertans have access to affordable and appropriate housing rests firmly with the Government of Alberta,” he wrote, “but all orders of government have an important role to play.”

CHC’s submission had four key recommendations:

1. That the province invest in maintaining existing affordable housing
2. Support for new mixed-rent housing models through operating agreements that provide adequate operating funding, predictable capital funding for new housing, and exemption from property tax for non-profit housing providers
3. Funding for rent supplements
4. A review of social housing regulations to reduce red tape and make the system more responsive to citizen needs

Though they have different specifics, these recommendations aligned with the City of Calgary submission with its three primary recommendations:

1. Uphold Provincial obligations for affordable housing through investment in the sector
   1. Capital funding for new building and transfer of viable assets at below-market values
   2. Property tax exemptions for non-profit housing providers and income tax modernization
   3. Partnering with municipal and Federal governments to streamline funding program applications
2. Create a citizen-centric housing system
3. Help facilitate private sector involvement

Both submissions also endorsed the COVID-19 Community Affordable Housing Advocacy Plan that calls for $590M in funding over the next three years to create more than 5,000 new affordable homes in Calgary. That plan, developed by a committee representing more than 40 Calgary organizations including private, public and non-profit sector participants, includes a call for $240M in funding for 22 shovel-ready projects that would provide over 1,800 new homes as well as another $275M over three years to trigger $350M in federal funding that would result in an additional 3,300 affordable homes.

Both CHC and The City of Calgary emphasized the critical importance of affordable housing for individuals to be able to succeed and contribute in our community and the very significant affordable housing shortfall in Calgary. Across Canada’s major cities, an average of 6% of housing is non-market – in Calgary it is 3.6%. Calgary needs an estimated 15,000 units of new affordable housing just to reach the average in other major cities.

Although private rentals and homeownership meet the needs of 78% of Calgary households, the need at lower income levels is very significant. The City’s 2016 Corporate Affordable Housing Strategy indicated that 60% of households earning $60k or less are overspending on housing every month. As our population grows, it is estimated that more than 100,000 households will be in housing need by 2025.

Submissions to the panel closed at the end of August and they are now reviewing information gathered across the province over the summer months. Findings are to be presented to Josephine Pon, Minister of Seniors and Housing, this fall.

Links to documents:

1. CHC Submission
2. CHC letter to the Panel
3. City of Calgary Submission
4. City of Calgary letter to the Panel
5. Community Housing Affordability Collective (CHAC) Submission
6. COVID-19 Community Affordable Housing Advocacy Plan

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Click here to download a more detailed summary of the results.

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The Province of Alberta has released a new Provincial Affordable Housing Strategy that may bring some changes for housing applicants and tenants of Calgary Housing Company.

The new Strategy and changes to some regulations were announced on Monday, June 26, 2017. We expect to have more information in the coming weeks about these changes and how they will take effect.

You can read more about the Provincial Government’s announcement here.

Q. If I am a current CHC tenant, will my rent change?
A. Too soon to say, we don’t have enough information to comment. From the preliminary information that we have, nothing was mentioned regarding rent adjustments.

Q. I have applied for housing with CHC and I am on the waitlist – do I have to reapply or update my application?
A. No, we will update your application once we know more about the changes. We are still unclear regarding what impact this might have on our applicants. Continue to keep us up to date with any changes in your situation. Please remember these new changes are not effective until January 2018.

Q. I was rejected/ not eligible to apply – Can I reapply? When?
A. You are able to re-apply if you were turned away based upon your assets. The new changes regarding asset limits do not come in to effect until January 2018, so you will need to hold off until then.

As we learn more about the changes and how they are going to be implemented, we will advise applicants and tenants who are affected by the changes. This information will be posted here on this website.

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