Where is the Money?

Purpose for the project

News stories are regularly published about funding being dedicated to affordable housing. Still, there is a lack of clarity about how much money is actually out there and where it is going.

Seeing news headlines about what is seemingly a lot of money being poured into affordable housing while simultaneously seeing the rising number of people experiencing homelessness is confusing. How can more people be sleeping on the streets, using shelters, paying half or more of their income on housing than ever before when there often seems to be money being put towards mitigating these circumstances?

This project seeks to answer that question, and clear up confusion regarding the representation of the amount of money being put into affordable housing, what is actually being spent, what is being done moving forward, and taking a look at what other Edmontonians right above the cut off for affordable housing are spending on housing.

Housing is a human right, and an important base to have a good, full life. People experiencing housing insecurity die at a younger age compared to those who are housed and using a shelter is a temporary and undesirable option for many (Buccieri et al., 2022).

Eligibility for affordable housing does not include all who need it in today’s economy, and the waitlists are long, and unpredictable. Many Edmontonians who rent, but do not meet the affordable housing requirements, as they might make right over the income threshold are still spending too much of their income on rent.

With the current circumstances impacting the cost of living, there are more people being pulled into poverty or struggling to afford basic needs, like housing, than ever before. The financialization of housing has skewed the market prices of houses and rent and the need for affordable housing is growing.