Municipal Housing Strategy - Community Engagement

Thanks for participating in this phase of engagement activities related to the Municipal Housing Strategy. Final reports by the consultant have been completed and were reviewed by Council at the July 27 meeting.

Copies of the reports submitted are available here:

• MDP and LUB Recommendations Report
  • Appendix A Telephone Survey Executive Summary
  • Appendix B Engagement Summary Report

In addition to the community engagement, the recommendations report also reflects research the consultant did about how other cities address housing topics like those identified in the Municipal Housing Strategy. The recommendations in the report are being reviewed by administration and will inform discussions and engagement related to policies of the Municipal Development Plan and subsequent corresponding changes to the Land Use Bylaw after the Municipal Development Plan is adopted. To follow and be involved in the Municipal Development Plan project, please visit its project page.

This round of community engagement related to the Municipal Housing Strategy is now complete, and the page will be archived at the end of October (it will still be available for public review by selecting Archived under the listing of Our Projects). It may become active again in the future as the City conducts additional engagement on the Strategy.

* Thank you for the great questions during our webinar! *

Click here for a copy of the slides.

A recording of the webinar is posted in the Documents section (bottom right) of the page.

Click here for a listing of Frequently Asked Questions.

Like many communities in Alberta, Lethbridge is experiencing housing pressures due to changing demographics and market trends. As our community changes, our housing needs change too. Together we will look for housing solutions that are more resilient for the times.

We're engaging with residents to gather feedback regarding several key short-term goals that were identified in the Implementation Plan. The City wants to understand the level of awareness and support, and perspectives and concerns among the public.

The feedback gathered will be used to inform updates to the Land Use Bylaw and Municipal Development Plan, which will result in achieving several of the short-term goals identified in the Implementation Plan. Engaging with Lethbridge residents on the Housing Strategy recommendations is critical to ensure that changes to these guiding policies are as reflective as possible of residents’ needs and preferences.

Background

On May 28, 2018, City Council established a task force to lead the development of a Municipal Housing Strategy and Implementation Plan for Lethbridge that addresses the full spectrum of housing needs in our community. In 2019, the City of Lethbridge completed a Housing Needs Assessment as part of the development of a Municipal Housing Strategy and Implementation Plan to address housing needs over the next five years. This strategy, finalized in 2019, provides a clear roadmap to fill housing gaps and guides the City in leveraging and allocating resources to projects that are strategic in meeting the needs of all residents, especially priority groups.

The Implementation Plan proposes a series of short- and medium-term goals in a number of priority areas, such as developing opportunities and targets for supportive housing and housing which is affordable to households with low to moderate incomes, expanding housing choice in low-density residential districts, and protecting existing rental housing.