Housing affordabilityÂ
Having safe, affordable housing is an important factor to health, and helps to reduce risk, vulnerability and harm in people’s lives. Housing affordability plays a key role in community building and contributes to community safety and vitality.
On this page
Current initiatives
Strathcona County Housing Affordability StrategyÂ
The Strathcona County Housing Affordability Strategy (2.3 MB) was approved by Council on April 23, 2024. The strategy defines the County’s vision, actions and targets for housing affordability, and positions our municipality to work in partnership with other levels of government.
Housing affordability reports
On April 4, 2023, the following reports, that were prepared in accordance with the direction from the PDS Affordable Housing Implementation Plan, were presented to Council:Â
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Housing Affordability – Red Tape ReductionÂ
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Housing Affordability – County Land Report Â
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Affordable Housing – Incentive Program Options Report Â
Council directed Administration to move forward with a number of recommended actions associated with these reports to improve housing affordability within the County. These recommended actions were incorporated into the Strathcona County Housing Affordability Strategy.
For additional information, please view the April 4, 2023, Council meeting. Â
Previous affordable housing initiativesÂ
PDS Affordable Housing Implementation Plan
On February 1, 2022 Strathcona County Council directed administration to begin work on select initiatives under the PDS Affordable Housing Implementation Plan. This plan outlines the tangible actions that Strathcona County’s Planning and Development Services can take to increase the potential for affordable housing options within the County. An increase in the supply and diversity of housing types across the housing spectrum will contribute to the overall affordability of the community and ensure that residents are able to age in place, both of which support the County’s vision to become Canada’s most livable community. This plan will be updated and revised as projects are completed. The implementation plan can be viewed below:
Affordable housing estimate
From November 1-30, 2020, Strathcona County participated in the Rural Development Network's Fall Estimations project and conducted the first local affordable housing estimate. A housing estimate helps build an understanding of rural experiences of housing insecurity and homelessness.
The following report captures the results of the housing estimate:
Housing needs and demand assessmentÂ
In 2019, Strathcona County commissioned the Alberta Rural Development Network (ARDN) to conduct a housing needs and demand assessment to better understand current needs and housing trends in Strathcona County. The assessment examined the affordability, suitability, and adequacy related to the current housing inventory to assess gaps in housing. The report was completed in 2020.
The following documents provide an update on the affordable housing needs and demand assessment findings:
- Executive Summary of the Alberta Rural Development Network Housing Needs and Demand Assessment (368.0Â KB)
- Strathcona County: Housing Needs and Demand Assessment (18.0Â MB)
Community housingÂ
In 2016, Strathcona County approved 17 recommendations from the Mayor's Task Force on Community Housing to address housing gaps. The recommendations informed strategic initiatives across the County and updates were provided to Council in subsequent years.Â
