Housing: Municipal Policy Development
Let RDN help your municipality create policy that promotes housing growth and supports sustainable development.
Let RDN help your municipality create policy that promotes housing growth and supports sustainable development.
Rural communities are not exempt from the housing shortages in Canada. Affordable housing development is a priority for municipalities to foster growth and retain the workforce. Beyond tax incentives, municipal governments can encourage housing development by reducing barriers and offering targeted incentives. Effective policy development is crucial in addressing housing shortages for rural communities. However, many small communities lack the resources, time or expertise to implement such policies. Let RDN help your municipality create policy that promotes housing growth and supports sustainable development.
Are developers and home-builders looking for incentives to build in your community? Whether you are a town or village in rural Canada, anyone who is looking to develop housing on a smaller or larger scale is a great benefit to your community. Lack of policy or outdated policies can hinder the growth of needed housing. While tax breaks or discounted lots have been tried, they often do not yield results. Reducing barriers and offering effective incentives are key to success. However, rural communities often lack the time and capacity to make these changes. RDN’s Sustainable Housing Initiative team can assist your municipal government by crafting policies that deliver results. We have helped several rural communities through our Enabling Housing Choice project and can tailor innovative solutions to fit your needs and drive impactful growth.
The Shelter Pulse Database Project enabled rural and remote shelters to work together in providing trauma-informed policies and procedures for violence against women shelters in Canada. The experts from the field that gathered to share their knowledge to the Shelter Pulse Database make this new tool invaluable. Under the leadership of the Rural Development Network, many partner shelters contributed to the outcome.
Cindy Easton – Mountain Rose Women’s Shelter Association (MRWSA)
As a previous participant in the Enabling Housing Choice project with RDN, we are excited to be making progress on key recommendations outlined in RDN’s report – Attracting Diverse Housing Development in Mayerthorpe. This report has been critical to understanding our community’s diverse housing needs, and has equipped us with community-informed insights on how to address these needs.
Karen St. Martin – Town of Mayerthorpe
Enabling Housing Choice, Housing
Understanding the significance of having people with lived experience and Indigenous people being at the tables of all conversations – especially those with decision making authority. The value of community, and looking after ourselves so we can serve others. That there is a community of people who I can learn from and share with in my work to serve my community.
Training Participant
National Coordinated Access
This training was so invigorating, refreshing and very much needed. The intimate setting, I feel, made a huge difference. We left the event with a deeper understanding and a strengthened network. We were reminded to focus on the capacity that we have, not necessarily all we would love to be able to do, and take it in steps. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Coordinated Access Training Participant
National Coordinated Access
Creating a sense of home is so much more than just a building and the Innovation Fund gave SHI and the YWCA creative space to think differently about our approach to design. Living in Banff National Park also strongly influenced our commitment to net zero targets. Belonging, security, connection, affordability, community pride-these are all factors that have influenced how we developed the Courtyard project.
Connie MacDonald- Chief Executive Officer, YWCA Banff
Housing
We are forever grateful to work together on this insight for our project. If not for the support from RDN on this we would not be where we are today! Our dream was to attain transitional, affordable and market housing in our community. This turned into a goal and now a reality. This housing continuum of care will be able to meet people’s needs while recognizing what their housing realities mean in a rural perspective. RDN has walked along with us and been able to connect and answer many questions, concerns and thoughts during this time.
Rebecca Wells – Executive Director, Wellspring Family Resource Center
Housing
We brainstormed and some said nature and multiculturalism because we are a multicultural building, with people from many different countries and ethnicities here. So we wanted something to represent that, and the mural will make us a landmark in the community as there i s alot of foot-traffic in the community.
St. Joachim Tenant on the Community Mural
Placemaking for Inclusion
There were people there who don’t normally show up to different functions. Everybody was doing something somewhere and were happy to participate and help others
St. Joachim Tenant on the Mural-Painting Event
Placemaking for Inclusion
The atmosphere was quite welcoming for everyone. One person said they had been here for 20 years and this was the best event they had seen. The busyness of the room encouraged cliques to break up and this increase mingling
St. Joachim Tenant on the Mural-Painting Event
Placemaking for Inclusion
It really brought the community together. Overall it was a great success. We also really enjoyed the painting, it was a great opportunity for those who had never painted before.
Senior Tenant, La Société des Manoirs Saint-Joachim
Placemaking for Inclusion
August 27, 2024
Homelessness
The Rural, Remote and Indigenous Communities’ Responses to Homelessness in Alberta What We Heard Report was published in May 2024 and funded by Homeward Trust Edmonton and the Government of Canada’s Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy.
ViewAugust 26, 2024
Homelessness, National Coordinated Access
The development of the training materials and toolkit builds upon the Housing First philosophy while using a place-based approach along with a person-centred and trauma-informed care lens based on Reconciliation. The was based on a bottom-up, rather than a top-down approach to understanding Coordinated Access through the voices of those with lived experience and the […]
ViewFirst Nations Data Collection, Homelessness, Housing, Indigenous
April 1, 2024
First Nations Data Collection, Homelessness, Indigenous
The purpose of this storytelling tool is to help us take steps to improve the quality of life, housing, and basic needs within our community. Click the buttons below to download/view the resources.
ViewApril 1, 2024
Homelessness
Coming Soon!
ViewJanuary 1, 2023
Alberta Provincial Estimations, Homelessness
October 1, 2022
Alberta Provincial Estimations, Estimating Rural Homelessness, Homelessness
This step-by-step document has been developed by the Rural Development Network (RDN) for rural communities across Canada that wish to accurately estimate the number of homeless individuals in their community. Click the button below to view the resource as a PDF.
ViewJune 1, 2021
Homelessness
Often, rural and remote communities do not have emergency shelters or supportive/ transitional housing for people experiencing homelessness. In addition, communities may be limited in the resources, staff capacity, trained volunteers, as well as the time needed to implement longer-term responses to homelessness, such as housing or shelter solutions, particularly prior to the onset of […]
ViewOur team works collaboratively to identify challenges in welcoming newcomers, and develop training, policies, and resources to better attract, retain and settle newcomers in rural areas.
Welcoming newcomers to rural communities and workplaces requires an understanding of the needs of newcomers, best practices on how to support with settlement and integration initiatives, and strategies to create more inclusive environments so newcomers can stay, work, thrive and grow in rural communities across Canada. Our team works collaboratively and uniquely with rural communities and organizations to identify the knowledge gaps and challenges in welcoming newcomers, and creates individualized training, policies and practices, and resources to support communities in gaining the skills to better attract, retain and settle newcomers successfully in the long-term.
Supporting communities and organizations with better strategies to welcome, settle and retain newcomers through a rural lens
Identifying the existing gaps and challenges that organizations and communities face in being able to understand and meet the needs of newcomers through research, communication and public engagement, performance indicators and community conversations
Customized training opportunities that focus on a wide range of topics, skill-building and awareness to increase the capacity of organizations and communities to meet their diversity, equity and inclusion goals and support newcomers to the community or workplace
We will work with your community (organizations, private businesses, key stakeholders, the municipality, community members) to promote and educate on the importance of immigration relative to your unique needs.
Utilizing our vast network of stakeholders, communities and organizations to make connections, build partnerships and facilitate collaboration
Development of resources and materials to support individual organizations and communities with knowledge translation, information and policies through an equity, diversity and inclusion lens
Creation of concrete actions to address a Post Secondary Institution’s identified goals in increasing their international student base, to identify required resources within the Institution, and to identify key service and programming areas within communities for international students.
Support with grant writing, finding funding opportunities and collaborating on projects with communities, partners, and other organizations
The Shelter Pulse Database Project enabled rural and remote shelters to work together in providing trauma-informed policies and procedures for violence against women shelters in Canada. The experts from the field that gathered to share their knowledge to the Shelter Pulse Database make this new tool invaluable. Under the leadership of the Rural Development Network, many partner shelters contributed to the outcome.
Cindy Easton – Mountain Rose Women’s Shelter Association (MRWSA)
As a previous participant in the Enabling Housing Choice project with RDN, we are excited to be making progress on key recommendations outlined in RDN’s report – Attracting Diverse Housing Development in Mayerthorpe. This report has been critical to understanding our community’s diverse housing needs, and has equipped us with community-informed insights on how to address these needs.
Karen St. Martin – Town of Mayerthorpe
Enabling Housing Choice, Housing
Understanding the significance of having people with lived experience and Indigenous people being at the tables of all conversations – especially those with decision making authority. The value of community, and looking after ourselves so we can serve others. That there is a community of people who I can learn from and share with in my work to serve my community.
Training Participant
National Coordinated Access
This training was so invigorating, refreshing and very much needed. The intimate setting, I feel, made a huge difference. We left the event with a deeper understanding and a strengthened network. We were reminded to focus on the capacity that we have, not necessarily all we would love to be able to do, and take it in steps. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Coordinated Access Training Participant
National Coordinated Access
Creating a sense of home is so much more than just a building and the Innovation Fund gave SHI and the YWCA creative space to think differently about our approach to design. Living in Banff National Park also strongly influenced our commitment to net zero targets. Belonging, security, connection, affordability, community pride-these are all factors that have influenced how we developed the Courtyard project.
Connie MacDonald- Chief Executive Officer, YWCA Banff
Housing
We are forever grateful to work together on this insight for our project. If not for the support from RDN on this we would not be where we are today! Our dream was to attain transitional, affordable and market housing in our community. This turned into a goal and now a reality. This housing continuum of care will be able to meet people’s needs while recognizing what their housing realities mean in a rural perspective. RDN has walked along with us and been able to connect and answer many questions, concerns and thoughts during this time.
Rebecca Wells – Executive Director, Wellspring Family Resource Center
Housing
We brainstormed and some said nature and multiculturalism because we are a multicultural building, with people from many different countries and ethnicities here. So we wanted something to represent that, and the mural will make us a landmark in the community as there i s alot of foot-traffic in the community.
St. Joachim Tenant on the Community Mural
Placemaking for Inclusion
There were people there who don’t normally show up to different functions. Everybody was doing something somewhere and were happy to participate and help others
St. Joachim Tenant on the Mural-Painting Event
Placemaking for Inclusion
The atmosphere was quite welcoming for everyone. One person said they had been here for 20 years and this was the best event they had seen. The busyness of the room encouraged cliques to break up and this increase mingling
St. Joachim Tenant on the Mural-Painting Event
Placemaking for Inclusion
It really brought the community together. Overall it was a great success. We also really enjoyed the painting, it was a great opportunity for those who had never painted before.
Senior Tenant, La Société des Manoirs Saint-Joachim
Placemaking for Inclusion
September 11, 2024
Inclusive Communities, Rural Immigration, Test
A resource highlighting how rural communities can transform spaces to support diverse populations
ViewInclusive Communities, Rural Employers’ Awareness on Diversity and Inclusion, Rural Immigration
To receive the guide, please click the button below and complete the following form. We are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy, and we’ll only use your personal information to administer your account and to provide the information you requested from us.
ViewInclusive Communities, Rural Immigration
To receive the guide, please click the button below and complete the following form. We are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy, and we’ll only use your personal information to administer your account and to provide the information you requested from us.
ViewFebruary 1, 2024
Affordable Housing, Inclusive Communities, Placemaking for Inclusion
A resource for affordable housing providers and tenants seeking to foster greater social inclusion in their community. Click the button to view the resource as a PDF file.
ViewRural homelessness and houselessness looks different than in urban centres, and requires a unique approach to address housing & service needs. Our team works with you to clearly identify community needs through data collection, develop recommendations and strategies to address them, and support the implementation of those solutions. This comprehensive approach aims to empower communities, build capacity, and implement data-driven strategies to address homelessness, housing, and service needs.
Our unique data collection method provides a comprehensive picture of housing insecurity & homelessness in rural communities.
To add community perspectives to the conversation, provide information, and create buy-in.
To understand the landscape of available resources, coordinate service delivery, and address gaps.
Designing a Task Force model for your community to foster collaboration.
Creating an informed Action Plan to guide next steps & address community needs.
The Shelter Pulse Database Project enabled rural and remote shelters to work together in providing trauma-informed policies and procedures for violence against women shelters in Canada. The experts from the field that gathered to share their knowledge to the Shelter Pulse Database make this new tool invaluable. Under the leadership of the Rural Development Network, many partner shelters contributed to the outcome.
Cindy Easton – Mountain Rose Women’s Shelter Association (MRWSA)
As a previous participant in the Enabling Housing Choice project with RDN, we are excited to be making progress on key recommendations outlined in RDN’s report – Attracting Diverse Housing Development in Mayerthorpe. This report has been critical to understanding our community’s diverse housing needs, and has equipped us with community-informed insights on how to address these needs.
Karen St. Martin – Town of Mayerthorpe
Enabling Housing Choice, Housing
Understanding the significance of having people with lived experience and Indigenous people being at the tables of all conversations – especially those with decision making authority. The value of community, and looking after ourselves so we can serve others. That there is a community of people who I can learn from and share with in my work to serve my community.
Training Participant
National Coordinated Access
This training was so invigorating, refreshing and very much needed. The intimate setting, I feel, made a huge difference. We left the event with a deeper understanding and a strengthened network. We were reminded to focus on the capacity that we have, not necessarily all we would love to be able to do, and take it in steps. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Coordinated Access Training Participant
National Coordinated Access
Creating a sense of home is so much more than just a building and the Innovation Fund gave SHI and the YWCA creative space to think differently about our approach to design. Living in Banff National Park also strongly influenced our commitment to net zero targets. Belonging, security, connection, affordability, community pride-these are all factors that have influenced how we developed the Courtyard project.
Connie MacDonald- Chief Executive Officer, YWCA Banff
Housing
We are forever grateful to work together on this insight for our project. If not for the support from RDN on this we would not be where we are today! Our dream was to attain transitional, affordable and market housing in our community. This turned into a goal and now a reality. This housing continuum of care will be able to meet people’s needs while recognizing what their housing realities mean in a rural perspective. RDN has walked along with us and been able to connect and answer many questions, concerns and thoughts during this time.
Rebecca Wells – Executive Director, Wellspring Family Resource Center
Housing
We brainstormed and some said nature and multiculturalism because we are a multicultural building, with people from many different countries and ethnicities here. So we wanted something to represent that, and the mural will make us a landmark in the community as there i s alot of foot-traffic in the community.
St. Joachim Tenant on the Community Mural
Placemaking for Inclusion
There were people there who don’t normally show up to different functions. Everybody was doing something somewhere and were happy to participate and help others
St. Joachim Tenant on the Mural-Painting Event
Placemaking for Inclusion
The atmosphere was quite welcoming for everyone. One person said they had been here for 20 years and this was the best event they had seen. The busyness of the room encouraged cliques to break up and this increase mingling
St. Joachim Tenant on the Mural-Painting Event
Placemaking for Inclusion
It really brought the community together. Overall it was a great success. We also really enjoyed the painting, it was a great opportunity for those who had never painted before.
Senior Tenant, La Société des Manoirs Saint-Joachim
Placemaking for Inclusion
August 27, 2024
Homelessness
The Rural, Remote and Indigenous Communities’ Responses to Homelessness in Alberta What We Heard Report was published in May 2024 and funded by Homeward Trust Edmonton and the Government of Canada’s Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy.
ViewAugust 26, 2024
Homelessness, National Coordinated Access
The development of the training materials and toolkit builds upon the Housing First philosophy while using a place-based approach along with a person-centred and trauma-informed care lens based on Reconciliation. The was based on a bottom-up, rather than a top-down approach to understanding Coordinated Access through the voices of those with lived experience and the […]
ViewFirst Nations Data Collection, Homelessness, Housing, Indigenous
April 1, 2024
First Nations Data Collection, Homelessness, Indigenous
The purpose of this storytelling tool is to help us take steps to improve the quality of life, housing, and basic needs within our community. Click the buttons below to download/view the resources.
ViewApril 1, 2024
Homelessness
Coming Soon!
ViewJanuary 1, 2023
Alberta Provincial Estimations, Homelessness
October 1, 2022
Alberta Provincial Estimations, Estimating Rural Homelessness, Homelessness
This step-by-step document has been developed by the Rural Development Network (RDN) for rural communities across Canada that wish to accurately estimate the number of homeless individuals in their community. Click the button below to view the resource as a PDF.
ViewJune 1, 2021
Homelessness
Often, rural and remote communities do not have emergency shelters or supportive/ transitional housing for people experiencing homelessness. In addition, communities may be limited in the resources, staff capacity, trained volunteers, as well as the time needed to implement longer-term responses to homelessness, such as housing or shelter solutions, particularly prior to the onset of […]
ViewOur Sustainable Housing Initiative (SHI) is your partner in overcoming barriers to affordable housing development. Our dedicated team is committed to guiding your organization through every stage of the process. From defining the need, creating a strategy, to accessing funding, we provide the support and expertise needed to help make affordable housing a reality in your community.
To help identify housing needs in your community, which helps with planning & accessing funding.
Co-creating an informed strategy for housing in your community.
To confirm financial viability of a housing project based on costs, revenue, and market factors.
To champion the proposed housing development by encompassing the needs assessment, financial analysis, research, and organizational information in one proposal.
We write funding applications and help identify funding sources to implement housing projects.
To add community perspectives to the conversation, provide information, and create buy-in.
Providing guidance to support the development of diverse, sustainable, and relevant housing in their communities.
The Shelter Pulse Database Project enabled rural and remote shelters to work together in providing trauma-informed policies and procedures for violence against women shelters in Canada. The experts from the field that gathered to share their knowledge to the Shelter Pulse Database make this new tool invaluable. Under the leadership of the Rural Development Network, many partner shelters contributed to the outcome.
Cindy Easton – Mountain Rose Women’s Shelter Association (MRWSA)
As a previous participant in the Enabling Housing Choice project with RDN, we are excited to be making progress on key recommendations outlined in RDN’s report – Attracting Diverse Housing Development in Mayerthorpe. This report has been critical to understanding our community’s diverse housing needs, and has equipped us with community-informed insights on how to address these needs.
Karen St. Martin – Town of Mayerthorpe
Enabling Housing Choice, Housing
Understanding the significance of having people with lived experience and Indigenous people being at the tables of all conversations – especially those with decision making authority. The value of community, and looking after ourselves so we can serve others. That there is a community of people who I can learn from and share with in my work to serve my community.
Training Participant
National Coordinated Access
This training was so invigorating, refreshing and very much needed. The intimate setting, I feel, made a huge difference. We left the event with a deeper understanding and a strengthened network. We were reminded to focus on the capacity that we have, not necessarily all we would love to be able to do, and take it in steps. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Coordinated Access Training Participant
National Coordinated Access
Creating a sense of home is so much more than just a building and the Innovation Fund gave SHI and the YWCA creative space to think differently about our approach to design. Living in Banff National Park also strongly influenced our commitment to net zero targets. Belonging, security, connection, affordability, community pride-these are all factors that have influenced how we developed the Courtyard project.
Connie MacDonald- Chief Executive Officer, YWCA Banff
Housing
We are forever grateful to work together on this insight for our project. If not for the support from RDN on this we would not be where we are today! Our dream was to attain transitional, affordable and market housing in our community. This turned into a goal and now a reality. This housing continuum of care will be able to meet people’s needs while recognizing what their housing realities mean in a rural perspective. RDN has walked along with us and been able to connect and answer many questions, concerns and thoughts during this time.
Rebecca Wells – Executive Director, Wellspring Family Resource Center
Housing
We brainstormed and some said nature and multiculturalism because we are a multicultural building, with people from many different countries and ethnicities here. So we wanted something to represent that, and the mural will make us a landmark in the community as there i s alot of foot-traffic in the community.
St. Joachim Tenant on the Community Mural
Placemaking for Inclusion
There were people there who don’t normally show up to different functions. Everybody was doing something somewhere and were happy to participate and help others
St. Joachim Tenant on the Mural-Painting Event
Placemaking for Inclusion
The atmosphere was quite welcoming for everyone. One person said they had been here for 20 years and this was the best event they had seen. The busyness of the room encouraged cliques to break up and this increase mingling
St. Joachim Tenant on the Mural-Painting Event
Placemaking for Inclusion
It really brought the community together. Overall it was a great success. We also really enjoyed the painting, it was a great opportunity for those who had never painted before.
Senior Tenant, La Société des Manoirs Saint-Joachim
Placemaking for Inclusion
April 1, 2024
Affordable Housing, Housing, Housing Education to Support Ukrainian Evacuees in Alberta, Rural Immigration
Click the buttons below to download/view the following resources in PDF format.
ViewFebruary 1, 2024
Affordable Housing, Inclusive Communities, Placemaking for Inclusion
A resource for affordable housing providers and tenants seeking to foster greater social inclusion in their community. Click the button to view the resource as a PDF file.
ViewNovember 1, 2022
Affordable Housing, Enabling Housing Choice
The purpose of the Step-By-Step Guide to Developing Affordable Housing is to be a resource for individuals and groups who want to develop, build, and operate affordable rental housing. The 2nd Edition of the Guide was developed with support from the Government of Canada’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), […]
ViewApril 1, 2022
Affordable Housing, Enabling Housing Choice, Housing
Research for driving transformational, long-term policy change that encourages housing choice and diversity in communities. Click the buttons below to view more.
ViewJanuary 1, 2021
Affordable Housing
A guide to the development and operation of sustainable, efficient, and resilient housing co-ops in Alberta. Click below to view each resource.
ViewMarch 1, 2020
Affordable Housing
Evidence-based building design recommendations to improve your tenants’ quality of life. Click below to view/download the resource in PDF format.
View
11443-143 Street,
NW Edmonton,
Alberta T5M 1V7
