Calgary Making "Significant Strides" Since Approving Housing Strategy

Calgary has made real progress since approval of its “Home Is Here” housing strategy back in September 2023. The city launched a bold effort to fix housing affordability by encouraging more diverse and affordable homes. According to the latest annual report, these steps are already delivering early results in both supply and affordability—showing the city’s commitment to ensuring everyone has a place to call home.

One key sign of success is the surge in new housing unit approvals. In 2024, the city advanced more than 25,000 market homes to the building permit stage—far above the usual yearly average of about 14,000. At the same time, non‑market housing units rose to 893 at the development permit stage by year’s end, a dramatic 850 percent increase from 2023. While the city still hasn’t hit its goal of 3,000 non‑market units per year, it has nearly met its three‑year Housing Accelerator Fund target in just the first year—a remarkable early gain.

Calgarians are also finding more housing choices where they live, thanks to a shift toward building townhomes, rowhouses, and similar forms of housing. These kinds made up 43 percent—nearly 1,000 units—of all low‑density permit applications in 2024, up from only 28 percent the year before. Another positive sign: more than 5,000 new secondary suites were registered in 2024, compared to fewer than 3,000 in 2023.

When it comes to housing starts, Calgary led the country. In 2024, the city recorded 20,165 housing starts per person—the highest overall in Canada. That leadership continued into early 2025: Calgary had the most housing starts of any Canadian municipality in the first quarter and accounted for 55 percent of all housing starts in Alberta.

The province is also helping the process. In mid‑2025, Alberta’s lack of rent control meant Calgary was drawing investors more than ever, especially with the province adding about 49,000 new residents in 2025. This demand and investment are helping to keep housing rolling. At the same time, Calgary has streamlined the way some housing gets approved. For example, permit requirements for rowhouses in new areas were removed—so long as plans meet existing zoning rules—allowing builders to go straight to the building permit phase. This kind of “cutting red tape” helps speed up home building for the so‑called “missing middle” of townhomes and rowhouses.

All told, from permits to starts to housing types and policy changes, Calgary is making clear gains under its “Home Is Here” plan. While the city still has more work ahead—especially in meeting non‑market housing goals—the early results are encouraging and show a city moving forward with purpose and momentum.