The Alberta government is set to announce a new initiative to help build homes in the province
Seniors, Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon will be unveiling the details of the plan at the McDougall Centre in Calgary on Wednesday
He will be joined by executives from the Building Industry and Land Development Association, a group that represents home builders, land developers and other companies involved in the construction industry
Details of the strategy have not been released, but the announcement comes a day after Habitat for Humanity Canada released a report about issues over housing affordability
The organization, which helps provide affordable housing to thousands of Canadians coast-to-coast, released its Affordable Housing Survey(opens in a new tab) on Tuesday that looked at the broader implications of the country’s housing crisi
Habitat for Humanity found that 84 per cent of Calgarians believe home ownership has become a luxury, which is on par with the national average
It also found that 88 per cent of Canadian renters feel they will never own a home
“Canadians are sending a clear message: the housing crisis is no longer just about housing,” said Pedro Barata, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada in a news release
“This is particularly evident for young Canadians, who are rethinking or delaying major life decisions to achieve homeownership, signaling a deep and lasting impact on future generations and society as a whole.”
In Calgary, 74 per cent of respondents are worried about sacrificing the money they spend on food, clothing, living essentials and education to cover the cost of rent or mortgage payments
Thirty-nine per cent of Calgarians said they considered delaying starting a family because they can’t afford a home
The survey also said those in Calgary worry the most (87 per cent) about the impact the housing crisis will have on their mental and physical health, even higher than those that live in Vancouver (85 per cent), the Greater Toronto Area (82 per cent) and Montreal (81 per cent)
Habitat for Humanity also found that the housing crisis is having a negative impact on those who own homes across the country, with 39 per cent of people saying their mortgage payments are a constant source of stres
“Helping Canadians achieve affordable homeownership is crucial to tackling the housing crisis, and should be a public policy priority,” Barata said
Conducted by Leger, the online survey polled 1,510 Canadians 18 years of age and older between Aug. 22 and Sept. 2, 2024
For comparative purposes, a probability sample of 1,000 respondents would have a margin of error of +/- 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20
