On July 29, Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to announce this new development initiative in Red Deer, Alberta. Read further details on the project and our thoughts below.
Last week, the federal government unveiled the Canada-Alberta Housing Infrastructure Fund Agreement – an investment of $510 million in Alberta’s local infrastructure through the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF).
Over the project’s eight-year timeline, the Alberta government says it will develop 25,000 affordable homes across the province by 2031. The Women’s National Housing and Homelessness Network welcomes this news as it will play a critical role in addressing the province’s housing shortage, as well as improving housing outcomes across Alberta.
The initiative is projected to be delivered over the next eight years, stating a focus on drinking water, wastewater, stormwater systems, and solid waste infrastructure, and with a goal of targeting essential but aging infrastructure that is slowing housing construction. This is an important foundation for addressing Alberta’s housing shortage. At the same time, while investments in infrastructure are an essential step toward increasing housing supply, they do not, on their own, ensure that housing will be affordable or accessible to those experiencing the greatest housing need.
The Need for Clear Affordability Parameters
In the absence of explicit priorities, policies and accountabilities towards housing affordability, new developments may not reach those experiencing the greatest levels of housing need in the province. Achieving affordability should therefore be measured not only by the number of homes developed, but whether those homes are permanently affordable, accessible and reduce homelessness and housing instability.
To realize this program’s full potential, implementation of all initiatives must prioritize, consult, and embed the lived experiences of those experiencing the greatest housing need.
Gendered Housing Gaps in Alberta
Women and gender-diverse people continue to face disproportionate risks of housing insecurity, homelessness, and gender-based violence. Those who rely on income supports in Alberta such as AISH, Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP) and the Alberta Senior’s Benefit (AIS) make well below the average market rent in the City of Calgary and are particularly vulnerable to housing instability as a result. Amidst these realities, Alberta also needs a rent regulation policy, making it so there are no limits to how much a landlord may increase a property’s rent, particularly impacting those who are on such fixed incomes, and may not be able to seek out higher paying employment.
Our 2026 data, the Unaddressed Project, a study on the size and scale of women and gender-diverse people’s homelessness in the City of Calgary, provides a snapshot of what housing realities are in the province:
- 2024 City of Calgary Point-in-Time (PiT) Count found that 35% of all respondents identified “not enough income” as the primary reason for their housing loss.
- This PiT Count also found that a third of all those experiencing visible homelessness to be women.
- 59% of all Unaddressed women and gender-diverse survey participants reported being on some kind of welfare, social assistance or fixed income related to disability or senior-status – the most common one being Assisted-Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) at 19%.
- 22% of all Unaddressed women and gender-diverse survey participants, who were forced to move out of their most recent housing, reported that it was because they could not afford it anymore, with an equal number citing problems with a landlord/property manager, and 24% reporting eviction.
- 75% of all housed survey respondents reported cutting back on necessities, with reporting that they had to pawn personal items (13%) and remain in unwanted relationships (<10%) just to retain their shelter.
These realities are too often overlooked when housing investments are planned and evaluated. This is unacceptable and cannot continue.
What Now?
The announcement of the Canada-Alberta Housing Infrastructure Agreement presents a critical opportunity to embed a gender-responsive and intersectional approach into all future provincial housing developments.
A gender-based analysis (GBA+) framework would greatly assist governments in assessing whether infrastructure investments are enabling housing that responds to the needs of populations disproportionately affected by housing insecurity, including women, Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, and survivors of gender-based violence. This should include:
- Annual monitoring/public reporting to assess whether new, affordable housing is:
- Reducing homelessness (e.g. annual homelessness and chronic homelessness rates, shelter occupancy data, turnaways, etc.)
- Improving housing affordability – is housing exceeding 30% of residents’ incomes? Are they being placed on waitlists?
- Increasing access to stable housing for vulnerable populations
- Were women, Two-Spirit, trans, and gender-diverse people able to access affordable housing? Are they able to remain housed over time? (e.g. eviction rates)
Rural and Indigenous Housing Funding within New Agreement
Additionally, the commitment to dedicate at least $100 million to rural and Indigenous communities recognizes longstanding geographic inequities in access to affordable housing (and services, homelessness services). While targeted investment is an important step toward addressing these disparities, funding alone cannot ensure that initiatives reflect the priorities, knowledge, and lived realities of Indigenous communities.
- In keeping with the principles of OCAP®, Indigenous communities must retain meaningful ownership, control, access, and possession of data and initiatives conducted in their communities, alongside meaningful leadership in project design, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
- This is essential to ensuring that investments are not only directed toward Indigenous communities, but are accountable to and shaped by the communities they are intended to serve.
The federal and provincial governments here have an opportunity to ensure that this Agreement helps build a housing system that is more equitable, accessible, and responsive to those who have been most underserved. The question is not simply how many homes Alberta can build, but whether those homes reach the people who need them most.