Building for the Future: Defend Calgary’s Affordable Housing

On December 15, 2025, Calgary City Council passed a motion to repeal the city-wide Rezoning for Housing. This motion is subject to a public hearing on March 23rd, 2026.

Rental and housing prices are out of reach for many Calgarians. There is not enough housing to keep up with the demand of our growing population. In 2023, 84,600 households were in housing need. For first time buyers, a household income of $156,000 is needed to afford the median price of a detached house; for renters, a household income of $84,000 is needed to afford the average market rent.

Prior to 2024, more than 80% of the city’s residential land was zoned for single-detached homes or duplexes. As a result, Calgary has sprawled outward. Sprawl is associated with greater greenhouse gas emission and encroachment on important natural areas outside of the city. For instance, city sprawl leads to greater vehicle reliance and fewer opportunities to use alternative forms of transportation, such as public transit, walking, or biking.

Urban sprawl also places greater demand on critical city infrastructure, requiring the building of new roads, pipes, and facilitates in newer neighborhoods. This is especially relevant when considering recent pressures on Calgary’s water system. Calgary has more water pipes per resident than any other large Canadian city because of its low-density population and sprawl. The large amount of pipe required to sustain the city exacerbated our water main issues and contributed to the repeated water main breaks.

In 2024 council revised residential zoning to allow for the development of more housing and more diverse housing (including semi-detached homes, duplexes, and rowhouses) in all areas of the city, a policy known as blanket rezoning. Since rezoning came into effect, the supply and diversity of housing options have increased. In the first quarter of 2025, Calgary had a 59% increase in development permit applications for new homes in established areas compared to 2024. Applications for townhouses and rowhouses increased by 163%. Further, the median home price, which had been rapidly increasing since 2020, decreased for all building types (i.e., detached, semi-detached, rowhouses, and apartments).

Blanket rezoning was one action recommended in the Housing Strategy to address housing needs and increase affordability. Blanket rezoning will not fix the housing crisis without other actions. However, the housing crisis will intensify if we return to restrictive zoning.

Our renters and low-income residents are disproportionately affected by this decision. A reversal of rezoning will cause rental and housing prices to rise further. As rental prices increase, renters will have less leverage when landlords fail to ensure that their units are safe and climate adapted.

If Council repeals blanket rezoning without a plan to reduce sprawl and increase housing and housing affordability, both our housing crisis and climate crisis will worsen.

No repeal without a replacement that will meet the targets of the Housing Strategy.
Commit to building diversified density and more affordable housing.
Launch a landlord licensing program to protect renters.

Calgary Climate Hub is calling on our neighbours and community members to demand that City Council stops the sprawl and upholds their commitment to affordable housing!