Affordable housing in Alberta serves thousands of families and individuals and provides them with a safe place to call home. With an extremely high cost of living, Canmore and area needs more affordable housing to support low-income individuals, women and families fleeing violence, those living with disabilities, individuals recovering from addiction, seniors, and many more who may struggle to make ends meet.
The province owns a 2.3-hectare parcel of land – valued at $8.7 million – between Palliser Trail and the Trans-Canada Highway. Following the planning, design and approval of an affordable housing project, the land will be transferred to the Town of Canmore to enable the development.
“Our government continues to show its commitment to making life more affordable for Albertans. This land transfer is addressing local needs in Canmore for more places to build housing. I am excited to work with local organizations and the municipality in providing more support for Albertans in need.”
Through a reservation agreement between the Government of Alberta and the Town of Canmore, the vacant property will be held for three years to allow for the planning and design of an affordable housing project.
“Access to affordable housing remains one of the highest concerns for both residents and business owners in the Bow Valley. After many years of advocacy, I am so glad to see this land be made available for more affordable housing, which will serve our area for many years to come. Access to developable land is one of the biggest barriers to increasing the affordable housing inventory available to our communities, and the gift of these lands to the Town of Canmore will mitigate that challenge.”
“We need the support of other levels of government to help address the housing challenges we face in Canmore. The contribution of this important piece of land by the Government of Alberta is one piece of the puzzle we have been working to solve.”
The Government of Alberta is taking action to support more households with affordable housing through its 10-year strategy, Stronger Foundations. This includes partnering with other governments and organizations and making the most of government-owned properties to meet the needs of low-income Albertans, now and into the future.
Stronger Foundations sets Alberta on a path to support an additional 25,000 households with affordable housing by 2031– an increase of more than 40 per cent – by focusing on partnerships and innovation
“At YWCA Banff, we have worked closely with our local MLA and advocated for this land to become available. We know how important it is for the women, families and all those that we serve to have a safe place to call home. It is exciting to imagine the future projects that are possible thanks to the government’s action on this land transfer.”
"For local businesses to move from recovery to resilience, tourism-based communities like Canmore need to meet housing needs for our hospitality workers now and in the future. The Canmore Hotel and Lodging Association therefore appreciates the transfer of lands by the province for affordable housing in the Town of Canmore.”