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By David Opinko/LethbridgeNewsNOW

Province accepts all 19 recommendations from affordable housing panel

Dec 11, 2020 | 1:55 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Government of Alberta says they are taking “bold steps, new direction for affordable housing” in the province.

The Affordable Housing Review Panel presented their 19 recommendations to the government, and all of which were accepted.

“Affordable housing is critical to create inclusive communities and is part of Alberta’s Recovery Plan to build economic prosperity,” says Seniors and Housing Minister Josephine Pon.

“Advice from the Affordable Housing Review Panel will help the government renew the provincial affordable housing system – which has not changed structurally for more than two decades – so it can better serve Albertans in need and make the best use of taxpayer dollars.”

The recommendations are as follows:

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1. Develop a provincial strategic plan for housing with short- and long-term objectives aimed
2. Develop a provincial asset management plan to move the Government of Alberta from being an owner of affordable housing to regulating and funding housing programs
3. Develop and implement a strategic asset transfer plan by working with key stakeholders
4. Ensure all proceeds from the transfer of assets stay within the affordable housing system and are utilized to meet affordable housing needs
5. Work with housing management bodies to build capacity within the sector, improve and redevelop the affordable housing stock, improve service delivery to those in need, and prioritize applications for subsidized housing based on local need
6. Engage and facilitate collaboration among housing management bodies, not-for-profit organizations, private industry, and Indigenous organizations/governments to increase capacity and develop appropriate housing solutions
7. Update the previous review of the Seniors Lodge Program conducted in 2015 with a view to increasing the effectiveness of lodges in meeting housing needs, the flexibility in their use, and their financial sustainability as a housing choice
8. Identify opportunities to maximize and leverage federal funding to increase the supply of affordable housing in Alberta
9. Work with Indigenous stakeholders, including Metis governments, to advocate to the federal government for continued, long-term supports to address the housing needs of Indigenous communities
10. Direct current and future provincial funding allocations to a mix of rent supplements and capital funding that maximizes affordable housing choices
11. Building on the current review of the rent supplement program, rebalance funding to include a modest subsidy for people who are currently not able to access deeper subsidy programs
12. Encourage municipalities to develop local housing and homelessness needs assessments and action plans to better understand local needs
13. Direct the Government of Alberta to update the approach to determining eligibility and calculating rents to include additional household income and assets and allow for more local control over prioritization
14. Work with housing operators to develop a centralized housing portal to manage waiting lists, including vacancies, and develop standardized application forms for the community housing and seniors lodge programs
15. Direct the Government of Alberta to improve its approach to capital maintenance funding
16. Encourage the Government of Alberta to update the provincial regulatory regime to increase the affordable housing supply, including streamlined planning approval processes and the adoption of innovative forms of housing
17. Encourage municipalities to update local planning policies, processes, and regulations to develop affordable housing and permits and encourage innovative forms, such as tiny homes, secondary suites, co-housing, and repurposing of non-residential buildings into affordable housing units
18. Work with housing partners to support and encourage innovative forms of affordable housing, such as the use of prefabricated homes, container housing, repurposing buildings, Passive House design, net-zero housing, and other solutions
19. Work with housing partners to support and encourage the development of innovative operating models, such as mixed-income, mixed-use, and mixed-tenure housing developments that will create community benefits and increase the sustainability of affordable housing

“The panel went to great lengths to understand the affordable housing system, engage with Albertans and analyze a massive quantity of research, data and best practices,” says Panel Chair Mickey Amery. “I am proud of the work we accomplished in a short amount of time. I thank the panel members for their dedication and Albertans for sharing their concerns and creative solutions as part of Alberta’s Recovery Plan.”

The panel heard from nearly 160 Albertans through engagement sessions and received more than 120 written submissions.

More than 110,000 Albertans currently live in affordable housing and another 19,000 are on waitlists.

Work is underway on a strategy to implement the above recommendations.

The full report from the Affordable Housing Review Panel can be found here.