Latest news with #socialHousing
CBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Alberta gov't decries 'baseless, politically motivated' affordable housing report
The Alberta government says it's rejecting the findings of a "baseless, politically motivated" report that gave the province a failing grade on addressing affordable housing. The Report Card on More and Better Housing, released Thursday, gave Alberta a D+ — the worst overall grade for any province in Canada. Though author Mike Moffatt of the University of Ottawa's Missing Middle Initiative praised Edmonton and Calgary for implementing "fantastic reforms," he said the provincial government needs to build more social housing, cut red tape, reform building codes and address climate risks. The province says the report is flawed and the rest of Canada should follow Alberta's lead in implementing policies that deliver "real results." "This is not a report on affordable housing — as it claims to be — but is instead a report by a climate activist group that ignores reality in an effort to push their green agenda," said Amber Edgerton, press secretary for the Ministry of Assisted Living and Social Services, in an emailed statement. She said the report fails to recognize the importance of affordability, record housing starts in Alberta, and the province's recent building code changes and flood mitigation efforts. Who's behind the report? The Task Force for Housing and Climate, a group of 15 housing policy experts that formed in 2023 to make recommendations for governments, commissioned the report. Former Edmonton mayor Don Iveson and Lisa Raitt, former deputy leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, co-chair the group. The Clean Economy Fund, an Ontario-based charitable foundation that supports climate philanthropy in Canada, funded the report. Who else is criticizing it? The report misses the mark because it's too focused on policies, not results, said Kalen Anderson, CEO of BILD Edmonton Metro, a building and land development industry group. "Alberta is the engine for Canadian housing bar none, and both Edmonton and Calgary are top jurisdictions for efficiency in terms of planning, development timelines, even development charges," she told CBC News. Anderson said there's always more work to do, but Alberta is producing the most housing per capita and maintaining the most affordable rents, amid record population growth. Most conversations Anderson been a part of over the past couple of years, at national, provincial and local levels, were "about trying to describe what Edmonton and Calgary's secret sauce is, and why Alberta is such an outlier in terms of its leadership of housing creation," she said. Who's defending it? Some say the report should be a wake-up call for the provincial government. Naomie Bakana, president of the students' union at the University of Calgary, said too many students are having to choose between safe and affordable housing. The union has heard stories about asbestos in apartments and as many as seven students living together in one room, she said. "What the province needs to do is take these recommendations into consideration," Bakana said. Students can't throw away grades they disagree with, so neither should the government, she said. Janis Irwin, housing critic for the Opposition NDP, said Assisted Living and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon often talks about Alberta leading the country in building more housing, but he's referring to market-rate housing. The government needs to invest in and increase the supply of non-market-rate housing, including permanent supportive housing, Irwin said. She added that that form of housing save lives and, in the long-term, money. Irwin called on all levels of government to work together on the housing issue to maximize progress. Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi echoed the call in a statement, saying all governments "need to step up and do their part to tackle housing affordability." Nadine Chalifoux, chair of the Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness, said the province could be learning from what other jurisdictions are doing to address the housing crisis, from reforming building codes to building more social housing. "I would hope that they would take that seriously, but it doesn't sound like they are," Chalifoux said.
ABC News
14-05-2025
- ABC News
Inglewood residents plead for government help to combat violence, antisocial behaviour
"We need help, please." That's the cry from Ahmed Abdi, a resident in a social housing complex in Inglewood which is at the centre of increasing reports of anti-social behaviour and crime in the inner-city Perth suburb. Residents both inside the facility and nearby say they are living in fear, because of the behaviour of a small group from within. About four kilometres from Perth's city centre, Inglewood is not usually considered an unsafe place to live, with the area boasting sought after real estate and a number of popular cafes, pubs and other local businesses. The median house price, according to REIWA, is just under $1.3 million. But the community has been rocked by a number of recent incidents, including an alleged attack on a man in a car park over the weekend, the smashing of a unit window on Ninth Avenue, and countless reports of aggressive behaviour and loud yelling at all hours of the night. WA Police said a man had been charged with assault over the car park incident, and the same man had also been charged with criminal damage over the smashing of a unit window. Mr Abdi is just one of a number of people who say the behaviour of a small minority is making the community unsafe, with authorities unable or unwilling to find a solution. While stressing he's very thankful for the opportunity to live in the social housing complex, where he has been for the past six months, Mr Abdi said some residents had made him feel a level of fear he had not previously experienced since coming to Australia from Somalia in 1998. "I feel scared to be honest, I feel very scared, because I'm scared they'll break my window and come inside," he said. His neighbour Jacqueline Butchart said when she had tried raising concerns with authorities, she had been met with threats and abuse. "I came out to take some rubbish out, and I was actually confronted by one of my neighbours saying that I was making false claims," Ms Butchart said. "It makes me scared because before I lived here, I was living in my car, so I don't have any other options. It's not just within the complex where people are scared, with nearby residents also saying they no longer feel safe in their own homes. Sarah*, who did not want to be identified because of fears for her safety, has been living in Inglewood since February 2022. Back then, the building now used for social housing was vacant, before a large number of people moved into the complex about a year ago. Sarah said that was when things changed. On top of the noise complaints, she and her neighbours started seeing drug use, finding drugs on the ground, and witnessing threats towards passers-by, she said. Sarah said she and her neighbours had been left feeling scared and unsafe in their own homes, even more so after her neighbour's window was smashed this week. "Staying here is the scary thing," Sarah said. "I purposely did not stay here last night because of what's happened to my neighbour. "I went and stayed at a friend's house last night and then I'll also have a friend come and stay with me tonight, to help not feel so stressed and feel a bit safer." Local business owner Claire*, who also chose not to be identified for safety reasons, said it was impossible not to notice the level of fear in the community in recent months. "We have a community that is scared to walk in the morning," Claire said. "Everybody is just treading really carefully because it is scary. "We feel that it's hard to speak up because you don't want to be a target. "We don't want to say that we're against social housing, we just want the government to do something about it. "We just want better support, better processes for the community and the tenants." Claire highlighted a recent state government election advertisement stating "every West Australian deserves to feel safe where they live", and said the community's cries for help to various arms of government had gone unanswered. *Names have been changed in this story at the request of the residents
Finextra
09-05-2025
- Business
- Finextra
allpay to help social housing providers tackle rising rent arrears
New findings from the National Housing Federation (NHF) reveal that rent arrears among tenants on Universal Credit remain significantly higher than those paying by other means - a challenge allpay Limited is helping social housing providers tackle head-on. 0 This content is provided by an external author without editing by Finextra. It expresses the views and opinions of the author. According to the NHF's quarterly survey, over half (51%) of general needs residents now claim Universal Credit, a figure that continues to grow each quarter. Alarmingly, nearly half (48%) of those claimants were in rent arrears at the end of December 2024, compared to just 28% of tenants using other payment methods. Despite a modest reduction in overall arrears, Universal Credit recipients still owed an average of £641 in back rent, a substantial burden for both tenants and housing providers. A trusted partner in payment solutions With over three decades of experience in delivering payment services to the public and social housing sectors, allpay's mission has never been more relevant. allpay's secure, multi-channel payment solutions, including Direct Debits, online, in person and app-based payments, empower tenants to manage their rent more flexibly and consistently, helping to reduce arrears and ease pressure on landlords. 'As Universal Credit continues to reshape how tenants receive and manage their finances, we're committed to working closely with organisations to provide user-friendly, reliable payment options,' said Michelle Pacey, Managing Director at allpay Limited. 'By enabling choice and control, we help tenants stay on top of rent payments, reducing the risk of arrears and eviction.' Improving outcomes for tenants and landlords The NHF survey highlights that while the total arrears on Universal Credit accounts dropped slightly to £58 million in December 2024, this still far exceeds the £23 million owed by residents paying by other means. The consistent disparity in average arrears (£641 versus £468) underlines the importance of solutions that support financial stability. allpay continues to innovate in this space, offering tools that integrate seamlessly into housing providers' systems, while prioritising accessibility for all tenants - whether online, over the phone, in person, or via our app. Looking ahead As economic pressures continue and more residents transition to Universal Credit, the ability to offer adaptable, consistent rent payment methods will be essential. allpay remains at the forefront, supporting landlords in reducing arrears and improving tenant engagement through smarter payment technology.
