Project Overview
The Town of Edson’s population has been relatively stable throughout the last five years, with the 2021 census data showing a population of close to 8,400 residents. The large majority of Edson residents live in residential neighbourhoods made up of predominantly single-detached homes; however, there is an increasing need for alternative housing types, both rentals and ownership, at different affordability levels to better meet the diverse and changing needs of current and future residents. Providing a mixture of housing types and tenures of varying levels of affordability is essential for creating a diverse, inclusive, and healthy community
What is a Housing Strategy?
There are two parts to the Housing Strategy. The first part is completing a housing needs assessment to better understand the current housing situation in Edson. The housing needs assessment will include information such as:
- Community demographics
- Current housing supply and demand, including a range of housing options
- Condition of existing housing
- Rental vacancy rates
- Affordability
- What gaps exist in the housing market and opportunities to fill those needs
- Future housing need
Current and future housing needs, gaps, and future priorities will be explored across the full housing continuum, which represents a range of housing options that can be available in a community. A depiction of this continuum is shown below.
The second part is the housing strategy itself which provides a roadmap to help the Town and community partners create and maintain an affordable, safe, and suitable supply of housing. The strategy will:
- Determine the affordable housing gap, identify current barriers for residents to access and keep a home that meets their needs, define the key housing issues, and prioritize actions to best address the key issues;
- Build on existing housing data to create recommendations;
- Include policies, strategies, and approaches to address housing issues;
- Explore opportunities for partnerships and confirm specific roles of key organizations and agencies; and
- Recommend an implementation plan with short- and long-term goals and performance indicators to measure success.
Both parts of the project will involve engagement with the local community and interested and affected organizations.
Project Timeline
We Want to Hear From You!
We are currently in Phase 1: Identifying Housing Needs
In Phase 1, we want to gather your input on what you are currently experiencing related to housing, and the ideas you have to address housing needs. Some of the topics will include:
- Housing gaps and current issues/barriers
- Existing and future needs
- Areas of priority
- Housing goals and ideas to achieve the goals
Let’s Talk Housing! Provide your feedback on housing issues and opportunities in Edson by participating in the engagement opportunities between November 4 to 22, 2024.
Starting November 4, click HERE to complete the survey or contact Morgan Roberts at ecdev@edson.ca or 780-723-4401 to request a printed copy.
Join us at the upcoming in-person community event to learn more about the project and share your thoughts.
Community Workshop (Drop-In)
November 13, 2024
Edson and District Leisure Centre
1021 49 St, Edson, AB T7E 1T7
5:00 - 7:00 pm
Your feedback will help identify current issues and needs and inform the development of actions to address those needs.
Questions?
A Glossary of Terms has been prepared to describe housing policy terms you may not be familiar with. It can be viewed here.
For more information about the project, contact:
Morgan Roberts
Economic Development Officer
Phone: (780) 723-4401
Email: ecdev@edson.ca