Opening of new Crescent Heights Affordable Housing development

Today, The City of Calgary and the Government of Alberta celebrated the opening of our city’s newest affordable housing development.

Certified silver by Built Green Canada, the Crescent Heights affordable housing development features four studio units, four one-bedroom units, four two-bedroom units and four three-bedroom units. Two units are barrier free, and one is built to accommodate the visually impaired.

Funding to build the Crescent Heights development was provided by the Provincial Government via a $2.1 million Housing Capital Initiative Grant and via $1.4 million in municipal funding through the Municipal Sustainability Initiative.

The Crescent Heights affordable housing development is a perfect example of how The City can repurpose vacant and valuable city land to provide safe and stable housing for citizens living on lower incomes. Several other affordable housing developments are currently underway in Calgary including a 32-household development in Kingsland, a 24-household development in Bridgeland, 16 future households in Rosedale, and a 48-household development in Wildwood, which began construction in May. To ensure existing supply is well maintained, the Calgary Housing Company also recently completed a regeneration of a 26-unit affordable housing property in Bankview.

Even with these important projects, Calgary is in need of more affordable housing. Currently only 3.6% of Calgary’s households are supported by non-market housing, which is below the national average of 6%. Calgary Housing currently has a 4,000 household wait list for social and affordable housing and processes an average of 245 new eligible applications per month.

Affordable housing supports people of all ages, family compositions and demographics – individuals and families who otherwise could not afford safe and stable homes. People in affordable housing have greater chances to find and keep jobs, to learn and build skills, and to be active participants in their communities.

The City of Calgary’s affordable housing strategy, Foundations for Home, identifies six key objectives over the next 10 years:

1. Get the Calgary community building 
2. Leverage City-owned land 
3. Design and build new affordable housing units 
4. Regenerate existing City-owned affordable housing properties 
5. Strengthen intergovernmental partnerships 
6. Improve the housing system in Calgary 

For more information and to read the strategy, visit calgary.ca/affordablehousing

Calgary set to improve with age

We’re all getting older. In fact, by 2036 nearly one in five Calgarians will be a senior. This growing population means we need to plan for how our communities will promote healthy, active aging, and ensure older adults are able to maintain their independence through access to the support they need.

Today, The City of Calgary gathered with its partners in developing an Age-Friendly Strategy to celebrate the milestones reached to date: Council’s endorsement of the plan and the Province’s recognition of Calgary for its work in contributing to an Age-Friendly Alberta.



To help build the strategy and implementation plan, we reached out to older adults, caregivers, community groups and other stakeholders in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Working together, we identified six priority areas that are now set to be implemented.

1. Access to information and services
2. Community support and health
3. Housing
4. Participation and inclusion
5. Prevention of and response to elder abuse
6. Transportation and mobility

Learn more about the plan and ways you can support Calgary’s older adults at calgary.ca/agefriendly.

Submitted by Peter Jacoby, Community & Neighbourhood Services