Addressing Alberta’s Affordable Housing Crisis and Calling the Federal Government to Action
There are over 3100 unhoused people in Edmonton and almost 60% of them identify as Indigenous. Our city is experiencing an affordable housing crisis, and we have an urgent need for permanent supportive housing and wraparound services that support healing and recovery.
The City of Edmonton and our partners developed very strong proposals for funding under the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI)’s phase three Project Stream, where we requested support for 7 projects to develop 288 units, for a total of $67M. The City of Edmonton and Government of Alberta were prepared to commit $43.5 million towards these projects. These projects would have supported community members who need them most, including newcomers, women-led households, Indigenous peoples, and women and children.
While I appreciate the support we received from our federal partners through phase one and two of the RHI and the Reaching Home Program, I am deeply disappointed to learn that only one project for 11 units was being funded as part of the Project Streams of the Rapid Housing Initiative phase three. This amounts to only 4% of our total ask, meaning many unhoused Edmontonians will continue to live outdoors without the supports they need as a result of this decision.
I am concerned that Alberta is only receiving 3% of the 1.5 Billion dollars allocated to phase three of the RHI Cities and Project Streams. This suggests to me that equitable distribution of funds across regions and per capita have not been considered in the Phase 3 program criteria. Minister Nixon, Mayor Gondek and I have expressed our shared concerns to the federal government in a letter regarding this inequitable funding allocation.
It is essential that the Federal Government understand the specific context in the prairies, and ensure that Alberta’s big cities receive equitable funding allocations. We are calling on the federal government to increase the funding allocation to the RHI program and to ensure Alberta’s major cities receive their fair share as we work to address Edmonton’s housing crisis urgently.
To view more of our intergovernmental advocacy letters, visit www.mayorsohi.ca/advocacy today.
