ECOHH's Provincial Budget Submission

As part of its ongoing commitment to evidence-based advocacy, ECOHH's Policy and Communication Committee with the direction of Chair Joshua Evans created a submission for the upcoming provincial budget.

The submission clearly shows that poverty is worsening in Alberta and housing costs are a driving factor in that poverty.

ECOHH is asking the Alberta government to make the following commitments for budget 2026-27.

1. Increase annual investment in social and affordable housing (new construction &

   upgrades of existing stock) to 1% of government spending.

2. Introduce a rent stabilization policy to ensure that private market rental housing remains

   affordable for Albertans;

3. Create an Alberta Rental Housing Acquisition Fund that can be accessed by community

   housing providers to acquire already-existing, affordable market housing;

4. Reform the Rental Supplement Benefit Program to ensure all eligible Albertans have

   access to these benefits, including tenants of affordable housing providers;

5. Increase funding for homelessness services and facilities to respond to actual need and

   enforce emergency shelter standards to ensure Albertans have access to safe, barrier-

   free 24/7 shelters that affords service users with diverse needs dignity and respect;

6. Provide recipients of all provincial income support programs with increases that support

   their access to modest market rental housing.

For the full submission, please click here. We invite you to share this with other Albertans who care about housing, homelessness, and poverty.