Government

“Today is a celebration of our partnership with the City of Calgary,” said Premier Ed Stelmach. “We heard very clearly from municipalities that they needed help to address growth demands and we’re working with them. This funding will address the local priorities identified by City Council to better meet the transit, affordable housing and recreation needs of Calgarians.”

The Municipal Sustainability Initiative is a program to provide a flexible, accountable and predictable revenue source for Alberta’s municipalities. Over the 10-year commitment by the province, municipalities will receive $11.3 billion in funding, with Calgary receiving approximately $3,200 per capita.

“This announcement reflects this government’s commitment to address municipal revenue sources and affordable housing concerns here in Calgary,” said Ray Danyluk, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “We are putting these funds into the hands of the local decision-makers who best know how to ease growth demands in their own communities.”

Mayor Bronconnier thanked the Premier and the Minister for delivering on their commitment to Calgary, and to all of Alberta's municipalities through the MSI program.  

“MSI is a landmark agreement, the most important agreement in our city’s recent history, and one that ensures our community’s future.  It will provide Calgary with $3.3 billion over the next decade to invest in our most urgent infrastructure needs. City Council has already directed some of these dollars towards investment in our LRT system, recreation centres and affordable housing, all investments which will improve the quality of life for generations of Calgarians," Mayor Bronconnier said. 

The City of Calgary’s infrastructure projects include a light rail transit (LRT) expansion, purchase of light rail vehicles, engineering studies for future LRT expansion, and new and expanded recreational facilities.  The funding will also be used to develop new affordable housing units, purchase and renovate affordable housing units, increase transitional housing and rent supplement programs as well as increase the development of secondary suites.

This year, the province has allocated $400 million for municipalities through MSI, and $285 million in new funding for 2007-08 to address immediate housing pressures across the province as identified in the recommendations from the Alberta Affordable Housing Task Force report. These initiatives are part of the Alberta government’s five-year strategy to create more than 11,000 affordable housing units and support the province’s long-term capital plan.

Addressing municipal sustainability is part of Premier Stelmach’s plan to secure Alberta’s future by building communities, greening our growth and creating opportunity.