News & Updates

ALBERTA – January 22, 2023 — On behalf of the Rural Development Network (RDN), the Sustainable Housing Initiative (SHI) is excited to announce that we have completed the 2nd Phase of the Enabling Housing Choice project, which provided recommendations for increasing housing choice in six Alberta communities.  SHI is working to support housing development that is […]

Edmonton, Alberta – January 10, 2024 – The federal government has announced additional funding that will allow the Rural Development Network (RDN) to distribute approximately $4 million over the next two years to Alberta’s rural, remote, First Nation, and Métis Settlement communities through the Reaching Home Rural and Remote funding stream. As the Community Entity for […]

It is no surprise that with the skyrocketing cost of living and the beginnings of a national housing crisis, homelessness has become a major problem across Canada. Homelessness is very visible in urban areas as it is common to see individuals sleeping in the streets, which is easier to identify than rural homelessness. Rural homelessness […]

TO ALL OF OUR RDN FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES:  Following an extensive search process, the Board of Directors is pleased to welcome Lisa Bélanger as RDN’s Chief Executive Officer.  Lisa has been with RDN for nearly six years, and most recently served as Director of Operations. She is passionate about the organization and committed to its […]

ALBERTA – Oct. 3, 2023 – Earlier in 2023, the Rural Development Network (RDN) partnered with 21 communities across the province to capture a comprehensive picture of rural, remote, and Indigenous homelessness. The results indicated that women, 2SLGBTQIA+, and Indigenous people are disproportionately at risk of being or currently experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness across rural […]

TO ALL OF OUR RDN FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES:  We wanted to share the news of Dee Ann Benard’s departure from her position as Chief Executive Officer at RDN. We previously shared this news in our newsletter and more recently at our Annual General Meeting.  After almost fifteen years with RDN, Dee Ann has decided to […]