Every Albertan deserves an affordable home.
The crushing cost of rent and failure by the provincial government to build affordable homes has forced so many Albertans to pile on debt. Some have lost their homes altogether.
There have been reports of students living in their cars or continuously couch-surfing while attending post-secondary classes.
Alberta is one of a few provinces with no limits on how much rent can increase — and for nine straight months Calgary was in first place for the largest rent increases across the country. Now, Edmonton has moved into that No. 1 spot.
In Calgary alone, 115,000 people are at high risk of homelessness.
The current UCP Government hasn’t met the challenge of the current housing crisis and is due to miss their own target for affordable housing builds by 4,000 units this year alone.
Clearly, more must be done.
Bill 205, the Housing Security Act, proposes an immediate cap on rent of two per cent for two years and then an additional cap at inflation for two more years.
The legislation also provides controls for vacant properties, demands better reporting on housing that is being built and more.
Join Alberta NDP Housing Critic Janis Irwin and colleagues on January 17th to learn more about this important legislation, currently before the Alberta Legislature, and provide your feedback.