Every Albertan Deserves a Home

All Albertans deserve a safe and affordable place to call home.

Today, more Albertans are living in insecure housing as the demand for permanent, affordable housing outstrips availability in communities across the province. Meanwhile, as the cost of rent and housing climbs, Albertans continue to experience the stress of crushing inflation.

The UCP have decreased the number of provincially supported affordable homes by 8,000 and they cut financial assistance programs that support Albertans. Many nonprofit and charitable community organizations are working hard to fill the gap, often without the resources required to make a meaningful impact on this growing problem.

Today, there are more than 25,000 Albertans on the waiting list for affordable housing and homelessness remains a major challenge. This is unacceptable. Albertans deserve better. They deserve a government ready to act on what matters.

That’s why Alberta’s NDP is releasing our proposal — Every Albertan Deserves a Home — as a clear plan to tackle the immense housing challenges facing Alberta communities today. We commit to housing another 40,000 Albertans within the next five years.

Affordable Housing is a provincial responsibility, and we cannot afford to fall short. Alberta’s NDP will act so all Albertans can have a safe place to call home and have the support they need to live a healthy and dignified life. Rachel Notley 

 

Our Proposals

• PROVIDE PREDICTABLE, CONSISTENT FUNDING FOR SHELTER SPACES

  • We propose, specifically, consulting with social agencies on the development and establishment of a funding formula for shelters.

• BUILD 8,500 MORE SOCIAL HOUSING UNITS

  • We propose increasing social housing by 8,500 units over five years.
    This will be done in partnership and cost sharing with municipal and federal governments and housing providers.

• INCREASE RENTAL ASSISTANCE

  • We propose to increase the number of households who receive rental assistance by 11,000, bringing the total up to 20,000 over the next five years.

• PROVIDING MORE WRAPAROUND SUPPORT

  • The provincial government will take more responsibility in funding wrap-around services in affordable housing, including for permanent supportive housing and tenant support staff.

• SUPPORT INDIGENOUS-LED AND DESIGNED HOUSING, RESTORE INDIGENOUS HOUSING CAPITAL PROGRAM

  • We propose the government of Alberta work with Indigenous people and communities to create an Indigenous Housing Strategy, similar to what the Aboriginal Housing Management Association has done in British Columbia through the British Columbia urban Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy.

• CREATE ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION LEGISLATION

  • We propose, the government consult, draft, evaluate and implement Accessibility and Inclusion legislation.

• INCREASE THE THRESHOLD OF ALLOWABLE ASSETS TO ACCESS AFFORDABLE HOUSING ONCE THE WAITING LIST FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS REDUCED

  • We propose increasing the income threshold for allowable assets above $25,000 once the waiting list for affordable housing has been significantly reduced.

• REFORM INCOME SUPPORT AND ADDITIONAL SHELTER BENEFIT

  • We recommend the provincial government consult with Albertans on Income Support and reverse UCP policies that have disqualified thousands from receiving shelter support.

• CREATE RENT BANKS TO PROTECT PEOPLE FROM SUDDEN EVICTIONS

  • Massive increases to the cost of rent are having a devastating impact on many Albertans. This became clear in our consultations and the largest increases have actually occurred after those concluded.

• REVIEW RENTER’S LEGISLATION AND POLICY

  • We are committed to having an extensive consultation about rental policy if we are elected and want all the people who should be involved in that conversation–including renters, landlords, and policy experts–to be there.

• EXPLORE CREATION OF ATTAINABLE HOMES PROGRAM

  • In addition to building social housing and analyzing rental policy, home ownership is an important part of housing policy. Affordable home ownership is a way to support families to have a stable future in market housing. This policy is especially impactful for newcomers to Alberta.