The roadblocks are continuing to come down as advocates of safe and affordable barrier-free housing celebrate a major milestone in Calgary.

But despite three decades of advances, work remains in order to get sufficient numbers of needed accessible housing units onto the Calgary market.

Similar concerns are also being voiced in Edmonton.

In Calgary, as the Accessible Housing Society (AHS) marked its 30th anniversary with its annual general meeting at the end of May, officials were proud of its accomplishments.

Photos courtesy of Accessible Housing Society
Planning turned this bathroom, above left, into one specifically designed to be wheelchair accessible to meet the needs of AHS clients (below right).

“Back in the 1970s, there really was nothing in terms of supported wheelchair-accessible living spaces, particularly for young people,” said AHS executive director Deanna Kirk. “Our Fourth Dimension Group Home was the first of its kind in Alberta.

“Much headway has been made over the last 30 years, in terms of raising awareness of accessible housing as a need in the community,” added Kirk, who pointed to Calgary projects such as the establishment of an accessible housing registry in 1980 and the opening of Chinook House and McLaurin Village in 1982 and 1985, respectively.

Another success, said AHS, is its Residential Assessment and Design (RAD) Team, which it introduced to Calgarians in 1997.

The RAD program, which includes an architect and occupational therapists, consults with individuals in their homes to determine what their accessible housing needs are, recommends solutions and helps connect people with appropriate contractors and funding sources.



“These are people whose need for services is precipitated by such issues as a spinal cord injury, a degenerative illness like multiple sclerosis, or factors associated with aging,” AHS said. The RAD Team works with more than 560 clients on an annual basis.

However, for the AHS pioneers and their counterparts in Edmonton and Red Deer, the surface has barely been scratched. Demand for accessible housing far surpasses supply, resulting in limited opportunities for people with mobility problems who wish to live independently.

In Calgary as of December 31, 2003, 56 people were on the AHS waiting list for adapted-living arrangements. These people are currently living in situations that are unaffordable, unsafe, inconvenient or otherwise inappropriate, AHS said.

The Handicapped Housing Society of Alberta (HHSA), which will change its name to the Innovative Housing Society of Canada later this month, said it has a waiting list for both accessible and affordable housing that stands at 1,300 for Edmonton and surrounding areas. Two years ago, that number was 650.

Increased rental rates for properties are part of the reason, said HHSA CEO David Haut, whose organization encompasses Red Deer in addition to Edmonton. Higher charges for long-term care accommodation is another factor.

“There is a severe shortage for housing with disabilities – across the board,” said Haut, adding that long-term care facilities are not necessarily the answer. “A lot of their zest for life tends to leave these people (in long-term care facilities). A lot of the things you and I take for granted are dictated to them there.”

While more accessible housing is in the works for both Edmonton and Red Deer, it is still just the tip of the iceberg.

Two hundred and thirty nine new units for Edmonton will account for only about 18 per cent of that city’s waiting list. “There’s still a tremendous need out there,” said Haut.

One new Edmonton condominium project is already under way and will add 69 accessible units at 167th Street and 100th Avenue. Marketing of the project begins this month.

Down the line, another Edmonton facility could come on stream if negotiations for the purchase of the Gray Nuns Regional Conference Centre, a 175,000-sq.-ft building at 95th Avenue and 165th Street, are successfully concluded. Haut is hopeful of an early fall announcement and said current residents of the building will be allowed to stay.

“We’re hoping to renovate the building to accommodate 170 apartment units for seniors, people with disabilities and short-term housing for women,” said Haut.

In Red Deer, a 65-unit complex announced at the beginning of the year is now moving forward. Interest in the $5.8-million project is already strong, said Haut, although the building, located at 7720 52nd Ave., won’t be completed for another eight months. It will consist of 25 one-bedroom units, 20 two-bedroom units and 20 emergency and transitional housing units.

In Calgary, meanwhile, the focus for AHS over the next 30 years will be trying to meet the need of more accessible housing by developing partnerships with government, builders and other community groups in order to construct more supported living spaces, said Kirk.

“We’re still educating people in the community as to who we are and what we do,” added Robyn Jackson, director of development for AHS. “With the Calgary population growing and aging, the demand for our services is increasing.”