Edmonton Coalition on Housing & Homelessness

ECOHH’s key messages to all candidates:

• The housing crisis in Edmonton continues to worsen:
• Between 300-400 Edmontonians dead due to homelessness every year
• 4,800 people are experiencing homelessness in Edmonton as of July 2025 (Homeward Trust BNL)
• 46,155 households in Edmonton are in core housing need (CoE Housing Needs Assessment 2021).
• Decent affordable housing is essential for all people.
• Good homes for all create strong healthy communities.
• Housing is more than four walls and a roof– it's homes, support, and community.
• Lack of decent affordable housing has negative consequences for everyone.
• In Alberta we have the resources, knowledge, and skills to make sure everyone has a decent place to call home in a strong healthy community.

ECOHH urges each of the candidates:

1. to be clear in their support for affordable and social housing and refrain from damaging rhetoric about those suffering from lack of adequate and affordable housing
2. to commit to be bold in your advocacy on behalf of all of us with the provincial and federal governments for adequate funding for affordable and social housing
3. to commit to a change in policy about the continuing rapid demolition of makeshift shelters, recognizing that the facts about encampments have been known for years:
4. there are clear and valid reasons why people choose to stay in makeshift camps
5. the shelter system is inadequate in terms of number and appropriateness of spaces for people with various needs for inclusion
6. the continuous dismantling of encampments violates basic human rights and common sense
7. the City’s continued focus on tearing down makeshift shelters and disposing of personal items does not work to solve homelessness, and causes immediate harm
8. to commit to an ongoing review of its development and zoning bylaws to ensure a continued focus on the human right to housing and a range of affordable and social (including supportive) housing in every neighbourhood
9. to commit to continuing the City of Edmonton’s initiatives to plan and fund social and affordable housing within its own budget in addition to funding from the provincial and federal governments
10. to commit to consultation processes around housing, zoning, and other critical city infrastructure that allows people to create their own communities, learning from and sharing with each other for mutual benefit, instead of relying on interest groups and experts
11. to commit to considering transit access for all Edmontonians, particularly those with barriers such as age, income, disability, or family needs, as the priority over the enhancement of transit corridors for those who are commuting for work
12. to declare their support for the principles of the federal government’s Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF), to “accelerate the growth of supply and support the development of complete, low-carbon and climate-resilient communities which are affordable, inclusive, equitable and diverse,” and to commit to ensuring the City provide support to non-profit social housing providers to take advantage of opportunities springing from this or similar funds instead of focusing on market-cost housing development.

ECOHH cares about these issues and commitments because of the current unbearable living conditions of thousands of people in Edmonton without adequate housing, the undeniable fact that the number of those suffering will continue to grow, and the knowledge that we could be doing better.