A Home for Everyone
Our Progress Towards Improving Housing Affordability.
Affordable housing is the cornerstone of a vibrant, healthy city. Although Edmonton is often recognized as one of the most affordable cities in Canada, the reality is that affordable, suitable, and adequate housing remains out of reach for many Edmontonians.
We have made significant investments in housing and set ambitious goals to improve affordability for all Edmontonians. But we cannot do it alone. Many residents struggle to make ends meet, pay rent, and navigate increasing living costs. Despite our efforts, the availability and affordability of housing in Edmonton is still an ongoing concern.
There is more work to be done. And I, alongside City Council, am working hard to support working families.
Housing For Those Who Need It Most
Our updated Affordable Housing Strategy, released in 2024, sets a clear direction to achieve our goal of providing affordable housing and support to all Edmontonians by 2050. The Strategy identifies that by 2026, we need to create more than 2,700 new or renovated affordable housing units. We are on track to meet this goal, and overall, our efforts have provided at least 3,367 people with safe, adequate and affordable housing.
Increasing Supply In The Market
In 2021, the Edmonton Economic Incentive Construction Grant approved 10 applications, which will lead to the creation of more than 2,300 new residential units in Edmonton’s core. Many of these projects are built and welcoming new tenants, with the remainder of these projects scheduled to open in the near future.
Furthermore, with an investment from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Housing Accelerator Fund, we are committed to fast-tracking more than 5,200 new housing units by 2026. Our efforts have also connected over 700 people with housing since 2021.
The Housing Accelerator Fund action plan will help bring on supply that the market won’t create on its own. That includes the type of housing envisioned by the City Plan, like transit-oriented housing, missing middle as well as non-market affordable housing.
Increasing the supply of housing is important. More supply means lower demand for existing homes across the city, and more diversity and affordability for new buyers and renters.
The City’s Tools For Housing Affordability
Edmonton has been recognized for our progress in making it easier, faster, and cheaper to build housing in our city.
Along with eliminating parking minimums and reducing red tape for affordable housing, in 2022 we earned top raking in areas that relate to housing supply and affordability like permitting and approval processes.
But the biggest change this Council has made is passing our updated Zoning Bylaw. This update simplified our zoning, enabled more and diverse housing everywhere, and removed barriers to building non-market housing.
Despite this progress, much work remains. Improving housing availability and affordability requires ongoing support from our provincial and federal partners. We are continuing conversations with all orders of government to ensure Edmonton remains one of Canada’s most affordable cities.
An Edmonton for all of us means a home for all of us, too. We are making strides towards this vision, but the journey is far from over. Together, we can create a city where everyone has access to affordable, suitable, and adequate housing.
