35,500 low-income Alberta households expected to benefit from 10-year rent subsidy program

On July 8th, 2021, our Executive Director, Susan Morrissey, appeared on 630 CHED with Shaye Ganam to discuss the recent announcement of the Canada-Alberta Housing Benefit, which will provide $444 million in funding (cost-matched between the federal and provincial government) designed to provide rental assistance to low-income Albertans. This program is expected to assist 35,500 Albertans in need.

Morrissey discussed why this program represents a big step forward in providing robust supports to renters in the province.

“Under the old system, the money would follow the rental unit. Under the new system, it follows the individual which not only is more respectful and dignified, but also allows individuals to not necessarily get stuck in that bottleneck that there’s not enough units [to meet the need].” Alberta's participation in the Canada Housing Benefit program has been a long-standing ask from the Edmonton Social Planning Council and has been recommended in two recent reports we published, "The High Cost of Waiting" and "Bridging the Affordability Gap."

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