Latest news with #AttainableHomesCalgary
CBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Rents down in Calgary but demand for non-market housing still strong
Social Sharing Calgary's rental market continues to cool off, with average asking rents falling by 9.3 per cent in July compared with a year earlier, according to new data from Despite the dip in prices, the non-profit Attainable Homes Calgary said housing affordability remains a huge challenge for many across the city. "We are seeing as strong a demand as ever," said Jaydan Tait, president and CEO of the non-market housing provider. "We still see a lot of people that have great jobs, great stable work, great stable incomes, they still don't make enough money to afford that market housing. So we attract them to our program." The latest report from shows Calgary's one-bedroom units cost an average of $1,593 in July. Two-bedroom units were priced at an average of $1,931 — a year-over-year drop of 9.0 per cent and 10.5 per cent, respectively. Even though Calgary's rental prices are down from last year, Tait said Attainable Homes continues to attract an average of 200-300 potential new clients per month. "So we have done a really good job … in Calgary at ramping up production of housing," he said. "But market housing at market price is still not the type of housing that our people that earn less than average incomes need to live." More relief from high housing costs could be on the way. Giacomo Ladas, associate director of communications with said Calgarians can expect the trend of slipping prices to continue. He said the city is well-positioned to meet housing demands driven by population growth, which slowed down across Alberta in 2025, according to Statistics Canada data. "The 'Alberta Is Calling' campaign was really successful in bringing a lot of people, but that stopped," Ladas said, referring ot the program that encouraged some Canadians to move to the province. In addition, international population growth has really slowed down, he said. Meanwhile, the housing supply in Alberta continues to rise. "Somewhere like Toronto and Vancouver, it's much more limited to where you can build … Alberta and Calgary are just better equipped to bring more supply. Their cities are a lot more equipped to expand, and we're seeing that in play here as supply continues to increase." Attainable Homes recently finished a 70-unit, below-market housing development in the western part of downtown and is currently constructing a six-story, 84-unit rental building nearby. But even when all 154 units in both buildings are available to renters, Tait expects the organization will continue to see plenty of demand from a "lengthy group of potential clients." Across the province, asking rents fell by an average of 3.9 per cent in July from the previous year, according to Other cities in the province saw a much smaller price change year-over-year. The cost of a one-bedroom unit fell by 4.6 per cent in Lethbridge, 3.8 per cent in Edmonton and 1.2 per cent in Medicine Hat.
Calgary Herald
18-06-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Attainable Homes Calgary bringing 230 below-market townhomes to former David D. Oughton School site
Article content The homes will range in price, according to Tait, with one-bedroom units selling for around $170,000 and five-bedroom homes selling for between $300,000 and $330,000, which is well below market rates. Article content There are currently hundreds of Calgarians on Attainable Homes Calgary's wait list, according to Tait, who said the non-profit has helped more than 1,100 families buy a home in the last 15 years. Article content 'The intent is for people that work hard, are on fixed incomes,' he said. 'We're looking for people that contribute very strongly to Calgary's economy, Calgary's cultural life, that just can't be in a market home right now, so we use that income eligibility limit to guide our sale decisions.' Article content There are also rules in place to prohibit owners from renting out their units, running a home-based business or secondary suite, or operating their townhome as a short-term vacation rental. Article content Article content 'We make sure that these aren't used as investment properties,' Tait said. 'The owner lives in the unit and we've got protections in place to ensure that happens.' Article content To help families afford the homes, Tait said Attainable Homes Calgary runs a down payment assistance loan program. Through the program, the non-profit's clients only need to contribute an initial $2,000. The agency then loans whatever is required for the buyer to reach the federally mandated five per cent minimum down payment. The interest-free loan is returned when the buyer eventually sells the home. Article content CMLC looking into developing park-and-ride lots along LRT In addition to the former David D. Oughton site, CMLC president and CEO Kate Thompson said the civic partner is advancing several other housing initiatives on municipally owned land. At Wednesday's event, she mentioned CMLC is exploring the feasibility of developing transit-oriented communities (TOCs) along the CTrain network, specifically the city-owned park-and-ride lots at the Anderson, Fish Creek-Lacombe and Dalhousie stations. The first phase of community engagement for those potential projects will begin this month, according to Thompson, who added additional surveys and engagement will follow as site analysis progresses. CMLC is also progressing its East Village master plan, with four residential projects featuring more than 900 homes currently moving through the city's regulatory processes. Construction of the first 162 of those units will begin later this year as part of Bankside Properties' Library Square project, which Thompson noted will include two six-storey residential dwellings just east of the central library. Article content
