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Housing Complex

What works, what doesn't, and what can be done to improve Edmonton's housing system

housing

Home truths: In Edmonton's housing system, some win, some lose, and many feel conflicted

Taproot presents a special project exploring what works, what doesn't, and what can be done to improve Edmonton's housing ecosystem as we head into the 2025 municipal election. There are no simple solutions to the problems of a complex system that hurts some and rewards others. But the path toward improvement begins with a common understanding of the issues.

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Vignettes 12

Interviews with Edmontonians who have various roles in the housing ecosystem, collected by Eric Rice and photographed by Jordon Hon

A woman smiles surrounded by flowers.

Bernice Westfall: 'Now I'm one of the ones needing help'

Bernice Westfall is a resident of Pioneer Place, a seniors' residence run by Operation Friendship Seniors Society at which subsidized rents are set at 30% of the resident's income.

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A man in a suit sits in a chair looking at the camera.

Omar Yaqub: 'Why is the policy this way?'

Omar Yaqub serves the team at IslamicFamily.ca, a holistic social change organization based in Edmonton. IslamicFamily (also known as IFSSA) serves thousands of Albertans every month, providing care and community connection, as well as capacity-building research and supports for the social sector.

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A man leans against a kitchen island in an empty home.

Chris Tieland: 'Entrusted with most people's biggest investment'

Chris Tieland is a property manager with Realty Canada Inc., a provincially licensed, full-service property management company based in Edmonton. He manages about 160 properties.

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A man gestures with his hands looking away from the camera.

Doug Singleton: 'Some people aren't meant to be homeowners'

Doug Singleton is an associate broker with Royal LePage Noralta Real Estate in Edmonton.

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A woman gestures with her hands in front of a brick background.

Cecilia Romero: 'What if I had given up on them?'

Cecilia Romero is the client services program manager for Operation Friendship Seniors Society, a non-profit society that provides community-based preventative social services to the seniors of Edmonton's inner city, operating more than 310 affordable housing units for Edmontonians over the age of 55.

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A woman leans against a fridge in a kitchen.

Clare Mullen: 'You have to be really cautious'

Clare Mullen is a homeowner and entrepreneur who owns shares in several houses in Edmonton that are rented to individuals seeking housing.

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A man holds a rugby ball and looks at the camera.

Rob MacIsaac: 'A massive barrier for individuals with disabilities'

Rob MacIsaac is the client services coordinator for Spinal Cord Injury Alberta, a non-profit society whose mission is "to empower persons with spinal cord injuries and other physical disabilities to achieve independence and full community participation."

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A man leans against a desk in an office.

Paul Lanni: 'Not going to see a return to the way things were'

Paul Lanni is the president and CEO of Averton, a developer and builder of townhomes, single-family detached homes, and multi-family buildings operating in both Alberta and Ontario.

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A woman sits on a chair holding a mug.

Nadine Chalifoux: 'My pain was something I could use to help others'

Nadine Chalifoux, whose Cree name means Green Butterfly Woman, provides information and advice to people experiencing homelessness or navigating the municipal and provincial social service systems.

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A man stands in front of a low-rise apartment building.

Bruce Bremner: 'I had a rough, rough go there'

Bruce Bremner is on income support in lodgings provided through the Jasper Place Wellness Centre's Bridge Healing program after an accident in January 2024 that resulted in infection.

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A woman sits behind a desk.

Bindu Bonneau: 'There is a lot more to develop'

Bindu Bonneau is the senior director of operations at Métis Housing, a not-for-profit that provides affordable housing to Métis and other Indigenous people in Alberta, with almost 900 affordable housing units in 13 urban locations.

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A man with a ring of trees dangling from his belt loop stands on a tree-lined, car-lined street with a low-rise apartment behind him

Chris Batdorf: 'A very uncomfortable fence to sit on'

Chris Batdorf is a housing manager with Right at Home Housing Society, a charity that helps to house Edmontonians who have nowhere safe to live or spend a disproportionate amount of their income on housing.

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Explainers 7

A deeper look at some of the questions raised about how Edmonton's housing system works, pursued by Taproot's editorial team

Edmonton city hall.
housing city council

What city council can — and can't — do to improve Edmonton's housing system

In Taproot's Housing Complex series, we examined where Edmonton is at on housing supply, government subsidies for housing, rental housing, infill, sprawl, and more. To wrap the series, we will now look at what city council and the City of Edmonton can, and can't, do to improve Edmonton's housing system, and for whom.

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A photo of a multi-family building.
housing indigenous

Why Edmonton's work on Indigenous-led housing remains complex

As Edmonton enters an election year, then, it's clear that more of its residents are struggling to find adequate housing than ever before, and most acutely within the Indigenous communities that make up 6.2% of the region's population. To find out why this is happening, what's working, and what needs to be improved, Taproot spoke to experts who work in Indigenous-led housing across Edmonton.

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Edmonton's skyline in March 2024.
housing homelessness

How Edmonton compares to cities finding success in tackling homelessness

As Edmonton enters an election year with rising housing prices and record numbers of residents who are homeless, Taproot spoke to experts to explore how other cities have found success transitioning people from being homeless to housed.

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A for rent sign on the balcony of an apartment.
housing

Why Edmonton may need to focus on renters as it stares down 'peak home ownership'

As Edmonton enters election season and rents rise, Taproot spoke to experts with the Community Housing Canada research project and the Collins Lab for Urban Excellence at the University of Alberta to learn more about how to keep prices attainable as the city continues to grow.

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A red and white five-storey multifamily residential building.
housing

Why the decline in public housing is 'the origins of Canada's housing crisis'

As Edmonton enters an election period while nearly 4,700 residents are homeless, Taproot spoke to experts with Community Housing Canada and the Collins Lab for Urban Excellence at the University of Alberta to learn more about Edmonton's supply of non-market housing.

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An aerial photo of the edge of Edmonton's suburbs.
housing

How should Edmonton grow to make housing more accessible?

With the next municipal election less than one year away, Edmonton is reckoning with an expected population of two million by as early as 2060 and a need to create housing to meet this demand. But how should Edmonton build to respond while keeping housing anywhere close to financially accessible? Out or in?

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The concrete bones of a six-storey apartment building that is being constructed in Old Strathcona.
housing

Would building more supply slow Edmonton's rising home prices?

As Edmonton prepares to enter a municipal election period where growing housing prices are expected to be a central issue, Taproot spoke to experts with Community Housing Canada and the Collins Lab for Urban Excellence at the University of Alberta to determine if municipal officials need to focus on increasing housing supply if they hope to help slow those increases.

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More about housing

Concrete curb extensions on a residential road.
city council housing

On the agenda: Migrant plan, neighbourhood renewal, ArtsCommon 118

This week, council returns from a short break to talk about a proposed migrant action plan, neighbourhood renewal budgets, and the ArtsCommon 118 development.

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Seven grey and black semi-detached houses in Fort Saskatchewan
housing region

Strata Developments builds new types of density in Fort Saskatchewan

While multi-family buildings of six, 10, and 40 storeys sprout up in central Edmonton, a developer is building density differently in another part of the region.

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A panel for the exterior of a home to improve its energy efficiency is suspended from a crane.
technology housing

Building event showcases innovations that cut emissions

The Smart Sustainable Resilient Infrastructure Association is showcasing innovations from Alberta's building industry at a Nov. 19 showcase event, including one company from the region that uses local hay to increase efficiency.

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