Learning about Affordable Housing
A healthy housing system offers a diverse mix of structures to suit a variety of individual and family needs, e.g. apartments, townhomes, single-family dwellings. It includes both rental and ownership properties at market and non-market (subsidized) rates, giving people at all income levels access to safe and stable housing.
A model of Calgary’s housing spectrum. The City of Calgary works with other levels of government, non-profits and private developers to meet our city’s non-market housing needs.
Calgary's housing market is suffering a supply deficit in the non-market (affordable housing) sector. Since 2011, the average increase in new affordable housing units is 308 units per year. However, to keep up to demand, Calgary needs 2,000-2,500 new units per year.
We work with the provincial and federal governments, non-profit organizations and private sector developers to close this gap.
Housing research
Research is a critical component of our work as it enables us to understand opportunities and challenges and make evidence-based decisions. The City has a variety of current and past research reports on Calgary’s housing system, affordable housing and homelessness.
Research reports:
- Housing Needs Assessment 2018 - The report examines the current and predicted future need for affordable housing in Calgary.
- Calgary Affordable housing Multi-Criteria Site Selection Analysis - In 2018, The City of Calgary updated its multi-criteria analysis to identify which areas of Calgary are the most suitable for affordable housing. This report presents the background, methodology, limitations and some of the results of this analysis, as well as the implications and next steps.
- Non-Profit Affordable Housing Land Survey – July 2018 - In May and June 2018, The City of Calgary conducted an online survey of non-profit affordable housing organizations relating to their future land needs.
- 28 organizations participated in the survey. The results of the survey are presented in this report.
- Housing in Canada's Big Cities - This report is the result of research conducted by The City of Calgary's Affordable Housing division and provides comprehensive data on Calgary's housing supply compared to other major Canadian cities.
- Housing in Calgary: An Inventory of Housing Supply, 2015/2016 - The City's research report confirms the supply gap in housing for low to moderate income households.
- Housing Preference of Low Income Calgarians with Appendices - The 2015 housing preferences report contains the findings of research conducted in 2012 with low and moderate income Calgarians. This report complements the Housing Needs Assessment research (see below).
CMHC Resources
CMHC is the leading authority on housing matters in Canada. Among the many resources and services offered:
- A research library containing the most extensive housing information in the country.
- A housing market information portal