In Edmonton, a 2023 City-led needs assessment revealed that nearly 50,000 households are in core housing need. Through consultation with local housing providers, the City found that one of the biggest barriers to building affordable housing was pre-development risk. Non-profit providers often had to assume significant up-front costs without dedicated funding, making it difficult to reach the stage where provincial or federal investment could be secured. This uncertainty stalled many otherwise viable projects.

In 2019, the City of Edmonton launched the Affordable Housing Investment Program (AHIP) to address urgent funding gaps and catalyze affordable housing development and rehabilitation. The AHIP positions the City as the first investor in affordable developments, providing up-front support that allows housing providers to mitigate risk and attract additional funding at the provincial or federal level. For every dollar the City contributes to the program, it secures approximately four more from other governments.

The AHIP was designed to be flexible, aligning with changing federal and provincial priorities. Its evaluation criteria mirror those of the CMHC Co-Investment Fund, making it easier for projects to compete across multiple funding sources. And a housing reserve account provides funds pre-approved by Council, so City staff can negotiate quickly with provincial and federal government partners – and can reallocate money annually in response to shifts in those higher-level government programs.

Partnerships are at the heart of the program. The units built under it are given to local non-profit housing providers and social service agencies, ensuring they remain affordable. Federal and provincial contributions, combined with political support from Council and the Mayor, have ensured sustained funding and momentum. The City has also worked closely with Indigenous partners, adjusting its intake process and increasing its maximum contribution for Indigenous-led projects from 25% to 40% to reflect the unique challenges the Indigenous community faces with accessing equity.

Since its launch, the program has distributed more than $125 million and supported the creation of over 2,400 affordable units, compared to just 720 units five years earlier. Edmonton’s stock of social and affordable housing has grown by nearly 33%, from 13,536 units in 2019 to over 18,000 in 2025. The AHIP positions the City to achieve its long-term goal of residents having access to affordable housing in all parts of the city.

To complement the AHIP, Edmonton has adopted various housing-enabling tools, including a number of zoning reforms: removing parking minimums, allowing up to 8 units as of right on certain lots, and making affordable and single-room occupancy housing permissible throughout the city. The municipality also provides discounted land to housing providers, offers grants and exemptions to lower the property tax burden, and has hired a dedicated safety code officer to help manage affordable housing projects after construction. Despite these measures, challenges remain: affordable housing, particularly supportive housing, faces systemic barriers; delays in multi-government funding create lost opportunities; and community resistance persists. Public education and a city-wide target of 16% affordable housing per neighbourhood help mitigate opposition, underscoring Edmonton’s municipal leadership.

Other municipalities are already looking to Edmonton as a model. Calgary’s Housing Incentive Program and, at the provincial level, the Alberta Affordable Housing Partnership Program draw on Edmonton’s experience. With AHIP’s success, Canada’s most northern provincial capital has significantly expanded its affordable housing supply while building a model that is both scalable and replicable across Canada.