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Housing Complex

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

  1. Overview
  2. Introduction
  3. Vignettes
  4. Explainers
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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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