Housing

Our Sustainable Housing Initiative (SHI) is made up of industry experts who support in the development of cost-effective, innovative, and sustainable housing in rural communities across Canada.

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Redefining Housing

Rural Canada has a critical shortage of affordable housing options, yet these regions have not received the same attention as urban centers across the country. Housing not only provides community members with a safe place to live, but strengthens social inclusion, promotes a sense of community, and is critical to economic development. 

A core part of our work is to help rural communities access projects and capital funding to develop cost-effective, innovative, and sustainable housing through a proven and streamlined process.  

We have published an award-winning ​Step-by-Step Guide to Developing Affordable Housing​ in collaboration with housing professionals across Canada. We continue to create resources and provide services to help rural, remote, and Indigenous communities kick-start their affordable housing development projects and remove barriers to development. 

Projects

Enabling Housing Choice

Housing

The Enabling Housing Choice (EHC) project is part of RDN’s Sustainable Housing Initiative. EHC provides guidance to rural municipalities to initiate the development of diverse, sustainable, and affordable housing in their communities.

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Placemaking for Inclusion

Housing

Placemaking for Inclusion: A Guide to Tenant-Based Initiatives is a resource for affordable housing providers and tenants who are seeking to undertake their own tenant-based initiatives while fostering greater social inclusion in their community.

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Housing Education to Support Ukrainian Evacuees in Alberta

Housing, Housing Education to Support Ukrainian Evacuees in Alberta

This project supports displaced Ukrainian evacuees and Alberta landlords in gaining access to information on appropriate, safe, and culturally-relevant housing in both rural and urban communities.

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Related Services

Our team of housing experts are here to boost your capacity and make housing projects a reality.

Developing Affordable Housing Course- Releasing This Fall!

This Affordable Housing Course brings together tools and resources from across Canada that apply to anyone interested in the affordable housing development process. Each module is filled with interactive learning tools and can be completed at your own pace. The affordable housing course will guide you through the following development phases: Length: Asynchronous and Self-Paced. […]

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Affordable Housing Pre-Development Services

We help communities, municipalities and organizations overcome barriers to make affordable housing a reality. 

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Relevant Resources

April 1, 2024

Housing for Ukrainian Evacuees Guidebook

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.

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February 1, 2024

Placemaking for Inclusion: A Guide to Tenant-Based Initiatives

Affordable Housing, Inclusive Communities

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.

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November 1, 2022

Step-by-Step Guide to Developing Affordable Housing 

Affordable Housing, Enabling Housing Choice

The second edition of our award-winning guide for those looking to develop, build, and operate affordable rental housing. Click the button below to learn more.

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April 1, 2022

Enabling Housing Choice Reports 

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.

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January 1, 2021

Paths for Housing Co-op’s

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.

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March 1, 2020

Psychology of Aesthetics

Affordable Housing

Evidence-based building design recommendations to improve your tenants’ quality of life. Click below to view/download the resource in PDF format.

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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

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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

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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

What We Do

Check out our current projects and initiatives that support Canada’s rural, remote, and Indigenous communities. Need help in your community? We also offer a variety of services to kick-start your own projects.

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Stay up to date with funding opportunities, upcoming events, and project updates in our Rural Connector Newsletter

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