A place to call home 

Adequate housing is a fundamental human right and an essential part of supporting the health, safety and well-being of individuals and families. In Strathcona County, unaffordability is the most significant housing challenge facing homeowners and renters in our community. Right now, more than 1 in 10 households in the County live in housing that is considered unaffordable.  

There are many misconceptions about housing affordability, including the belief that it isn’t an issue in Strathcona County. Together, members of the CSWB Housing Affordability Action Table developed a thought-provoking webpage and communications campaign to shine a light on the Community Safety and Well-being strategic priority of basic needs and the importance of housing affordability initiatives.  

After participating in the Action Lab facilitated workshops, the Housing Affordability Action Table decided their top priority was to help shift the narrative and better educate the community about housing affordability, busting common myths and highlighting local stories. The group met over many months to develop content for a hub of information online and provide insight into the key messages and campaign material.   

Together they developed strathcona.ca/APlaceToCallHome,  featuring a mix of local facts and statistics, details on the importance of having diverse housing options, human impact stories and links to local housing resources and support. The table also took a unique approach to address their goal of myth busting by introducing an interactive quiz onto the webpage. Web visitors were encouraged to test their knowledge by taking the short quiz featuring questions such as: 'How long has non-market/affordable housing been a part of Strathcona County?' and 'How much money would a single parent need to earn to afford an average two-bedroom apartment in the county?’  

Response to the campaign was overwhelmingly positive with 1,323 visits to the online hub, 44 pop quiz participants and 34,161 accounts reached on social media. Thank you to everyone who participated in the campaign and helped elevate the voices of our Housing Affordability Action Table members.  

Housing Affordability Action Table

The Housing Affordability Action Table members include Brittany Land Housing Co-op, Robin Hood Association, Heartland Housing Foundation, Habitat for Humanity Edmonton, Davidson Creek Housing Cooperative, Hope in Strathcona, Northern Alberta Housing Association, Sherwood Park and District Chamber of Commerce, and Strathcona County.