Rental housing not affordable

Sharon McLeay
Times Contributor

 

The latest statistics from the Canadian Rental Housing Index, www.rentalhousingindex.ca, place Strathmore as one of five areas in Alberta with critical rental affordability.
Citizen Relations for a Canada-wide partnership of housing organizations that began in November last year, released the index based on Stats Canada 2011 statistics, which reveals that affordable rental housing is not just a big city issue. It shows many renters in small towns and communities financially struggling to make ends meet.
“Really what it does is document and substantiate what people have been thinking for awhile now, but now we have some hard numbers,” said Ron Schlegelmilch, Executive Support for the Alberta Network of Public Housing Agencies (ANPHA).
He said to address housing issues, coordinated efforts need to involve all government levels and the community resources.
‘”It is not always about money, it is how we can get governments, municipalities and communities to make a difference,” said Schlegelmilch.
He said the first priorities were to establish the need and then to begin to form strategies.
Approximately 27 per cent of those renting in this area are spending 50 per cent of their income or more on their rental accommodations. With an average income of under $50,000, this doesn’t leave much for the other living essentials.
Schlegelmilch said that it is well documented that affordable housing has a great impact on other areas of social issues including education, health and policing. He said they all work together to support healthy communities.
There is a call for federal, provincial, and municipal governments to address rental-housing issues, before serious homelessness numbers rise.
“Anything done to reduce these numbers is very much needed and appreciated.” said Schlegelmilch. “Our objective (ANPHA) is to raise the awareness and need for affordable housing with municipalities and with the provincial government. They kind of go hand in hand. Provincially you talk about policy and municipally about delivery.”
He said that representatives from ANPHA will come out to speak to municipalities or agencies to inform and help interested parties brainstorm solutions and strategies to increase affordability in their areas. He said they have been in contact with the new provincial ministers of Seniors, Health, Human Service and Municipal Affairs to advocate for more funding.
“We have the perfect storm for a housing crisis,” said Brigitte Witkowski, president of the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association. “Federal funding for social housing is set to expire, cities are becoming more and more unaffordable and low income Canadians from coast to coast to coast are experiencing wait times of many years, before being able to access social housing.
And to top it all off, our current social housing stock is in major need of major repair and renewal. At this point, federal investment in all forms of affordable housing is urgently needed.”