✔ Canadian housing context
✔ Designed for rural, remote, and under-resourced communities
✔ Practical, applied, and capacity-focused
Across Canada, communities are being asked to respond to the affordable housing crisis with urgency, often without the internal capacity, sequencing knowledge, or practical tools required to move projects forward.
As a result:
The challenge is rarely commitment.
It is capacity and where to start.
This is not a theoretical overview or a policy-focused training.
The Affordable Housing Course:
Participants learn what happens, when it happens, and why it matters across the full housing development lifecycle.
This course is designed for people who influence housing outcomes even if housing is not their full-time role.
No prior housing development experience is required.
The course follows the full affordable housing development lifecycle, based on our award winning Step-by-Step Guide to Developing Affordable Housing. Expand each section to see what you’ll learn and how it applies in practice.
Understand how affordable housing development works in the Canadian context — and where your role fits.
Assess whether a housing idea is viable before time and money are spent.
Make informed pre-development decisions that reduce risk and control cost.
Understand what it takes to move a project through construction with confidence.
Ensure projects transition into sustainable, well-managed assets.
Understand how impact investing fits into the housing landscape.
Apply course learnings to real-world housing work.
A: Yes. This course is designed for people who influence housing decisions, even if housing is not their full-time role.
A: Approximately six hours, completed at your own pace.
A: Practical. It focuses on real-world decision points, sequencing, and applied tools.
A: Yes. The course is designed with rural, remote, and under-resourced communities in mind.
A: Yes. It is grounded in Canadian housing systems and governance.
A: Yes. Organizations can sponsor cohorts.
RDN set up Middlesex County for success by delivering quality website content and educational graphics for our homelessness communications plan. The content was provided in templates that were easy to use and adapt as our needs changed and revisions were needed. RDN also created branding for the project with a new logo, tagline and matching graphics. The communication plan outlined how to implement the communications through the various channels, including social media, to reach target audiences. The plan also provided evaluation metrics for our communications goals, so we could measure the success of our campaigns. We appreciated how RDN listened to our needs and delivered exactly what we needed and more.
Joe Winser, Director of Human Services, Middlesex County
Homelessness, Shared Services
We engaged RDN to complete a full review and update of our organizational policies at a time when we simply didn’t have the internal capacity to take it on. From start to finish, they were easy to work with, asked thoughtful and insightful questions, and delivered exactly what we needed—on time and on budget. Their expertise and efficiency made a complex process feel manageable, and we could not have done it without them. We would absolutely recommend RDN to any organization looking for knowledgeable, dependable, and professional support.
Stephanie Miller, Lloydminster Region Housing Group
Shared Services
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
February 1, 2025
Homelessness, National Coordinated Access
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 […]
ViewApril 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.
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.
RDN set up Middlesex County for success by delivering quality website content and educational graphics for our homelessness communications plan. The content was provided in templates that were easy to use and adapt as our needs changed and revisions were needed. RDN also created branding for the project with a new logo, tagline and matching graphics. The communication plan outlined how to implement the communications through the various channels, including social media, to reach target audiences. The plan also provided evaluation metrics for our communications goals, so we could measure the success of our campaigns. We appreciated how RDN listened to our needs and delivered exactly what we needed and more.
Joe Winser, Director of Human Services, Middlesex County
Homelessness, Shared Services
We engaged RDN to complete a full review and update of our organizational policies at a time when we simply didn’t have the internal capacity to take it on. From start to finish, they were easy to work with, asked thoughtful and insightful questions, and delivered exactly what we needed—on time and on budget. Their expertise and efficiency made a complex process feel manageable, and we could not have done it without them. We would absolutely recommend RDN to any organization looking for knowledgeable, dependable, and professional support.
Stephanie Miller, Lloydminster Region Housing Group
Shared Services
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
