City administration says the Grande Spirit Foundation could stand to lose 25 per cent of its funding for its rent subsidy program, should proposed cuts go forward (EverythingGP file photo)

By Shaun Penner

Rent Subsidy Funding

City council advocating for provincial rent subsidy funding to be maintained

Feb 5, 2021 | 5:30 AM

Concerns with possible long-term funding reductions to the province’s rent subsidy programs has led a city standing committee to direct Mayor Jackie Clayton to write a letter to the appropriate provincial minister to advocate on behalf of maintaining funding levels.

This decision came during Tuesday’s meeting after the Protective and Social Services Committee learned of the proposed cuts. The reduction could result in the Grande Spirit Foundation seeing 25 per cent less funding annually for its subsidized housing program, which equates to a loss of $750,000 a year.

Committee chair Wade Pilat says it is important to layout to the province the impacts of what that reduction could mean.

“Council has always been concerned in this term of housing affordability of all kinds,” said Pilat. “We talk a lot about seniors on a fixed income, this just isn’t a bump they can have right now.”

Housing and Homeless Initiatives Supervisor Katherine Schmidt presented the findings at the meeting, after city administration met with Grande Spirit Foundation representatives about the impacts of the possible cuts.

Schmidt told committee that currently there is a waitlist for the foundation’s subsidized housing program of about 250 people.

A reduction of the $3 million annual budget to $2.25 million would result in a freeze on all new applications for GSF’s program, while reducing the number of available units within the program.

She adds GSF emphasized to them that plans are in place to protect existing rent subsidized clients from losing their current subsidies

“Grande Spirit is going to do what they can, but they also have 250 people already on a waitlist, so it’s just more that we want to make sure that housing affordability is being listened to, and as it is still under review,” added Pilat. “We want to do our part to advocate that maybe this was just an oversight on the province’s part.”

The province’s rent subsidy programs are designed to help low-income seniors and families who are unable to acquire or maintain adequate or suitable housing without paying more than 30% of total income.

Currently, the province says, more than 110,000 Albertans live in affordable housing, while 19,000 more households are on waitlists.

Pilat says the letter will be the first step in advocating to ensure funding levels are maintained. Should that not work, decisions about how to make up the funding, or allowing it to lapse, will have to be made at the municipal level.

“We’ve got to hope this works, and if not, we are going to do what we can,” said Pilat. “We just need to remind the province this is a lot of their responsibility as well.

“The Grande Spirit Foundation does a great job of looking after these units in the city, and they represent our community well, so we want to make sure that they get the funding they deserve.”

The funding decision has not been finalized by the province, as recommendations from the Alberta Affordable Housing Panel‘s review of affordable housing in the province were presented in December of 2020.

Schmidt notes the panel has recommended that rent subsidy programs continue.