February 8, 2022
For Immediate Release

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The Rural Development Network’s (RDN) Sustainable Housing Initiative (SHI) announces the launch of its Enabling Housing Choice project. This project, funded by the Alberta Real Estate Foundation (AREF), will help enable communities across Alberta to reduce barriers to diverse housing development through policy changes. This project will increase local capacity and knowledge through the development of a Step-By-Step Guide to Enabling Housing Choice, which will help Albertan communities navigate through the policy change process to support stronger, more resilient communities.

“The Enabling Housing Choice project is about creating change in Albertan municipalities to support community development and housing” Daniel Morin, Project Manager, Planning & Community Development, “Housing is interlinked with infrastructure, transportation, the economy, and community wellbeing, and we look forward to tackling these issues holistically through this project.”

Many communities are struggling to attract new residents and employers due to several reasons, including perceptions of different communities, a lack of housing options, and a lack of amenities or resources. To help better understand these reasons and to inform the creation of the guide, the SHI is currently performing province-wide engagement to learn about people’s perspectives on where they live and their experience with housing. This information will be used when developing policies, tools, and resources in Albertan communities. The aggregated results of this engagement will become publicly available in March 2022 so that communities can learn more about perspectives in Alberta.

“We know that the real estate industry in Alberta is facing massive changes. Our role as a funder is to support efforts that help the industry and Albertans keep pace and adapt to these changes.” Patti Morris, Executive Director, AREF, “The insights and resources gained through this project will build capacity province-wide, transforming how municipalities can approach residential development to foster healthier and more vibrant communities.”

There are several ways communities across Alberta can help support and be involved in this project, including:

• Filling out and sharing the province-wide survey (survey closes February 28)
• Signing up as a potential partner to implement policy changes to support housing
  development

“Data plays a key part in creating policies and communities that support a diversity of people and their needs. The Enabling Housing Choice project will help facilitate change to create more inclusive, diverse, and vibrant communities across Alberta.” Zain Abedin, Director, Community Development, “We are thankful for the support from AREF on this important subject and are looking forward to hearing what our community members have to say.”

Upon the completion of community engagement, the SHI will be providing free consultation services to select communities to implement and refine policies to support housing development.

Explore the Resources & Take the Survey

For more information, please contact:
Daniel Morin
Project Manager, Planning & Community Development
780-288-3440
danielm@ruraldevelopment.ca