Affordable Housing for Visible Minorities

New Horizon Social Enterprise G252

Affordable Housing Crises

Housing crisis is one of the most pressing social challenges in Edmonton's history. As cities continue to grow rapidly due to urban migration, economic shifts, and demographic changes, the supply of adequate and affordable housing has failed to keep pace with demand. This mismatch has led to severe housing shortages, escalating rents, overcrowding, and increased homelessness in the inner-city neighborhoods.

Housing was seen not only as a basic need but also as a foundation for social and economic stability. In recent years, housing investment have become increasingly commodified, driven by speculative investments and profit motives rather than the goal of providing shelter for all. At the same time, public housing investments have stagnated or declined, and land use policies have often favored suburban developments over affordable options.

Visible Minorities and the Housing Crisis

Visible minorities are disproportionately affected by the housing crisis. Historically, many visible minority communities have been concentrated in inner-city neighborhoods—areas that have often been systematically neglected in terms of investment, infrastructure, and social services. These neighborhoods frequently suffer from aging housing stock, overcrowding, and environmental hazards, yet they remain some of the only places where low-income families can afford to live. Discriminatory housing policies, racialized poverty, and barriers to homeownership further entrench inequality. As housing prices rise and gentrification accelerates, many long-standing residents are displaced from these communities, uprooting cultural networks and social supports.

Visible minorities have also been concentrated in public housing. However, public housing has not kept pace with the growing size, needs, or aspirations of low income families. Decades of underfunding, deferred maintenance, and shifting government priorities have resulted in deteriorating living conditions and limited availability of units. As demand has surged, waiting lists have grown longer, and families are often left in overcrowded or inadequate housing. The lack of investment reflects a broader pattern of neglect toward low-income, racialized communities, reinforcing cycles of poverty and exclusion.

Without renewed commitment to affordable and equitable housing policy, visible minorities will continue to bear the brunt of the housing crisis.

A New Hope for Visible Minorities: Alberta’s Housing Strategy

Alberta’s affordable housing strategy, Stronger Foundations, represents a new hope for addressing the housing crisis faced by visible minorities. For decades, many racialized communities have been confined to aging public housing or underserved inner-city neighborhoods, often experiencing overcrowding, substandard living conditions, and limited access to opportunity. With its commitment to increasing affordable housing supply, investing in culturally appropriate models, and partnering with non-profit and community-based organizations, the strategy offers a meaningful shift toward equity. It not only acknowledges the systemic barriers faced by visible minorities but also provides tools to break the cycle of housing insecurity. If fully implemented with a strong equity lens, Stronger Foundations has the potential to transform housing outcomes and restore dignity, stability, and opportunity to thousands of Albertans from diverse backgrounds.