Lever of Change

Housing

One of the issues facing Calgarians today is the search for affordable housing. Our city is in need of thousands of affordable housing units. There are many conversations happening around the city because this challenge is solvable. We provided recommendations on the provincial affordable housing strategy.

Rents in Alberta are on the rise and many advocates see rent control as the answer to improve affordability. We have been examining the issue and, at this time, will not be advocating for the Alberta government to impose limits on rental increases. While we can appreciate the short-term relief rent control may provide, a number of studies conclude that rent controls can lead to decreases in the existing supply of rental units and may deter builders from starting new projects. What Alberta needs urgently is for all governments to direct funding to subsidized housing projects, increase rental subsidies, and implement measures to encourage construction.

Access to safe and affordable housing helps create inclusive communities and makes our city a great place to live and work for citizens of all income levels. The City of Calgary provides an overview of affordable housing in Calgary.

Energy poverty can be a never-ending cycling of unaffordable bills, arrears and disconnection, along with the inability or resources to make changes to improve efficiency. A family is in “energy poverty” if 6% or more of its net income is spent on energy bills, or double what the median Canadian household pays on energy. Vibrant Communities Calgary is a member of Alberta's Energy Poverty Roundtable which works to develop solutions to address energy poverty in the Province.

Each lever of change links to one or more of the 94 calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Housing links to #37, #74.