Will you work with us to address the affordable housing crisis and implement Calgary’s Housing Strategy? How will you work with us to expand and better coordinate rent supports for renters in crisis? How will you ensure that sufficient land is made available for affordable housing and is zoned appropriately before being released?
Candy Lam: Yes - Candy is a fan of the City’s Fair Entry program. She agrees that programs like that, as well as rent supports, should be easier to access for people in need. She believes that the current system would benefit from better coordination so people in crisis can get help quickly without having to navigate a complicated system. Land that the City makes available for affordable housing development should be appropriately zoned prior to its release. Overall, Calgary needs to take a longer-term approach to community planning. The current approach seems to focus on building a certain number of homes in certain areas. A more ideal system would look at the bigger picture of what it takes to build sustainable communities. This requires a simultaneous look at other infrastructure, including transit. This would provide a more holistic approach to community development
She also believes these supports must be designed to serve Calgary’s diverse populations. This includes making programs accessible across language and cultural barriers, so that newcomers and equity-seeking groups can receive help without added obstacles.
John Garden: Yes - John supports a Hand Up vs. a Hand Out approach to social supports. He sees a bigger role for not-for-profits (versus City) working in this space. John supports making affordable housing unit construction a condition of sale of City lands. He agrees that appropriate zoning should in place before the land is released.
He is concerned with the current focus on multi-family home development. John says Sage Hill is an example of a community plan that sacrificed green space for density.
Jennifer Wyness: Yes - Cllr Wyness says she will meet with the CACG to identify paths forward. She says the City of Calgary is serious about the need for more affordable housing. The City’s ability to do this is hampered by recent changes enacted by the Government of Alberta and Federal policy changes. The Province wants more oversight over the City and any funds it gets from the federal government. This complicates, and slows down, any housing strategy the City puts in place.
Under the current system, land is not pre-zoned before it’s released. Cllr Wyness says there are two reasons for this: fairness and the inability to predict market changes. Releasing land that is not pre-zoned ensures that developers/Non Profits can pursue the projects they want. Cllr Wyness says this promotes competition and fairness. Pre-zoning land for affordable or below-market housing use would effectively privilege some developers/Non Profits.
The City also knows that markets change. Developers/Non Profits could not be forced into completing projects that did not make economic sense.
Those concerns aside, Cllr Wyness believes the City could better protect its interest in building more affordable and below-market housing. She would like to see the administration look for opportunities to retain ownership of some of the land that’s released. The land could be leased to developers under terms that stipulate affordable housing.
Trevor Cavanaugh: Yes -
I support exploring ways to improve coordination between all levels of government and nonprofit housing providers. The City can play a role in helping residents navigate available supports and ensuring emergency rental aid gets to people before they reach crisis.
It is important that the City take a strategic approach to land use, identifying parcels near transit, services, and jobs for affordable housing, while maintaining transparency in how land is prioritized. I would also like to ensure communities are engaged early in the process.