Have your say on The City of Calgary’s Housing Strategy
Calgary is experiencing a housing crisis.
Our city has grown significantly over the past several years and, at this moment, one in five Calgary households are unable to afford where they currently live. This equates to more than 80,000 households who are spending more than 30% of their income on housing. As we anticipate welcoming another 110,000 new residents over the next four years, the scale of the challenge we face is significant.
Exacerbated by low vacancy rates, higher-than-normal rent increases, and escalating home prices, more Calgarians are at risk of losing access to safe housing within their means. Additionally, as demand continues to outpace supply, our housing crisis threatens Calgary’s competitive advantage as one of the world’s most livable cities.
Simply put - we do not have enough housing to meet the needs of our current or growing population.
What can we do to increase affordable housing in Calgary?
The City of Calgary’s Housing Strategy is being updated to foster a more equitable, inclusive, and affordable housing market in Calgary. The Strategy outlines specific actions we can take as a city to address the housing crisis and remove barriers to housing affordability and economic prosperity.
The Housing and Affordability Task Force outlined six overarching recommendations to meet the needs of Calgary’s updated Housing Strategy. These recommendations focus on increasing and diversifying our housing supply, strengthening the housing sector through partnerships, and improving living conditions for rental housing.
# 1: Make it easier to build housing across the city.
# 2: Make more land available to build more housing across the city.
# 3: Ensure that the supply of affordable housing meets the needs of Indigenous people living in Calgary and Equity-Deserving populations.
The first three recommendations will help Calgary to increase and diversify our supply of housing. Boosting development by 1,000 more market homes beyond what is normally built in a year, and at least 3,000 non-market affordable homes a year.
# 4: Convene the housing sector to facilitate greater collaboration.
# 5: Increase the investment to support housing providers.
These two recommendations will help Calgary to strengthen the housing sector to support partner collaboration and foster a greater impact than if they were to act alone.
# 6: Ensure more individuals have a safe place to call home.
This last recommendation will help Calgary to improve living conditions for people in rental housing.
You can read the full report and details on implementing the recommendations HERE.
It is important to note that most of the recommendations are the starting point, not the end. Many will need thoughtful consideration by Administration, and engagement with Calgarians to implement.
The lack of affordable housing affects us all.
To quote Teresa Goldstein and Mia Kambeitz, members of the Housing Affordability Task Force:
‘Even if you spend very little time worrying about how you will pay your rent or mortgage, housing affordability is still an issue that affects you because it affects the overall well-being and economic stability of the community.’
Providing safe and adequate housing for anyone who needs it must be top of mind for all of us. Housing is a human right everyone deserves - making it easier to provide more housing choice, including deeply subsidized and transitional housing that incorporates wrap-around social supports, is the first step toward addressing much of the social disorder occurring throughout our city.
Share your feedback:
On September 14, 2023, the refreshed Housing Strategy will be presented for approval at the Community Development Committee Meeting. Calgary residents have the opportunity to hear about the Strategy and have their say at that meeting.
Your support, comments, and feedback are a critical piece of tackling Calgary’s housing crisis. Please talk to your family, your friends, and your neighbours, and share how they can get involved.
There are three ways you can participate and share your feedback at the September 14th Committee meeting:
Register to speak in-person - Members of the public wishing to speak in person can pre-register using the public submission form. You are also welcome to register to speak when you arrive at Council Chambers on the day of the meeting.
Register to speak by phone - Members of the public wishing to speak remotely can use the public submission form to pre-register. You will receive further information on how to call-in once confirmed.
Write a letter - Members of the public wishing to submit a written comment as part of the official public record may do so by using the public submission form. You are able to include an attachment such as supporting documents,
Additionally, you can copy your comments by email and send them directly to members of council using the online submission form.
The City of Calgary offers a Transit Ticket Program that provides two complimentary bus or train tickets to in-person participants at Council public hearings on the day they speak, as well as a Parking Program, that allows for up to 6 hours of complimentary parking in CPA Lot 36 - City Hall Underground Parkade accessed at 322 9 Ave S.E. You can learn more about these programs HERE.
Learn more about how to share your feedback and participate in council meetings HERE.
To learn more about Calgary’s Housing Strategy, the Affordability Task Force Recommendations, or to sign up to participate at the September 14 Committee Meeting, visit calgary.ca/housingstrategy.