Non Partisan Association

The Alberta Non-Partisan Association supports a dedicated "Housing First" strategy where the provincial government takes a direct role in building and operating affordable housing. Under this proposed model, the government would shift from its current role as a funder of third-party projects to a primary developer and landlord, ensuring that future renters pay no more than 25% of their net income for rent.

Deep Affordability Standard

While current provincial strategies like Stronger Foundations focus on mixed-income models—often setting rents between 60% and 99% of median market rates—the NPA proposal prioritizes deep affordability based on actual take-home pay.

Approach	Rent Calculation
Current Provincial Model	60-99% of median market rates
Traditional Affordability Standard	30% of gross income
NPA Proposal	25% of net (take-home) income

The distinction between gross and net income is significant. A household earning $60,000 gross might take home only $48,000 after taxes and deductions. Under the traditional 30% gross standard, they would pay $18,000/year in rent. Under the NPA's 25% net standard, they would pay $12,000/year—a difference of $500 per month in household budget.

Government as Developer and Landlord

The NPA proposes that the provincial government take direct responsibility for building and operating affordable housing rather than simply funding third-party developers. This approach offers several advantages:

• Long-term Affordability: Government ownership ensures units remain affordable permanently, not just during initial affordability periods
• Quality Control: Direct operation allows consistent maintenance and safety standards
• Economies of Scale: Provincial-scale development can achieve cost efficiencies unavailable to smaller operators
• Revenue Retention: Rental income supports ongoing operations rather than generating private profit

Housing First Philosophy

The "Housing First" approach recognizes that stable housing is the foundation for addressing other challenges. Rather than requiring people to address mental health, addiction, or employment issues before accessing housing, this model provides housing first and then offers wrap-around support services.

Research consistently demonstrates that Housing First approaches:

• Reduce chronic homelessness more effectively than traditional approaches
• Lower overall public costs by reducing emergency service usage
• Improve health outcomes for previously homeless individuals
• Create stable foundations for employment and community integration

Implementation Approach

Large-scale government housing development would require:

• Land Assembly: Strategic acquisition of suitable properties
• Construction Capacity: Partnerships with construction industry to build at scale
• Property Management: Professional management systems for ongoing operations
• Support Services: Integration with health, employment, and social services
• Tenant Selection: Fair, transparent processes prioritizing those in greatest need