Changes have been made to the City of Airdrie's subsidy program, improving access to services and making transit and recreation affordable for more residents. As of Jan. 1, 2023, the Airdrie Fair Access (AFA) program - formerly the Airdrie Participant Support Program - will provide income-based subsidies to residents through a one-step application process.
To qualify, applicants must be residents of the City of Airdrie and have a household income that is within 25 per cent of the low income cut-off before taxes (LICO-BT) as defined by Statistics Canada for census metropolitan areas of more than 500,000 people.
With the new program, there are three subsidy levels available, depending on an applicant’s household income and the number of people in their household*. The subsidy levels are as follows:
| number of people in the household | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household income | $26,620 | $33,141 | $40,743 | $49,467 | $56,105 | $63,276 | $70,449 |
| number of people in the household | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household income | $29,282 | $36,455 | $44,817 | $54,413 | $61,715 | $69,604 | $77,494 |
| number of people in the household | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household income | $33,276 | $41,426 | $50,929 | $61,833 | $70,131 | $79,095 | $88,061 |
*A household is all family members living in the same home related by blood, marriage, common-law or adoption (including children). The AFA program assesses eligibility based on the combined income of all adult members of the household.
If an adult is registered in a full-time educational institution, please include proof of enrolment with your application. Independent adults living in the same home, such as roommates, may be considered a separate “household”. The City reserves the right to exercise discretion as to what counts as a household.
| Eligible Service | Eligible programs/discounts |
|---|---|
| Airdrie Transit |
|
| Genesis Place recreation services/programs |
|
Eligibility is determined based on the combined income of all adult members of the household, and the total number of members in the household. Your total income can be found on your Notice of (Tax) Assessment on line 15000. If the combined total income amounts for all adult household members falls within the eligibility thresholds listed above, you may be eligible for AFA.
Complete the application to the best of your ability. If your application is incomplete, not clearly printed or missing documents, the application process will take longer.
Apply for the Airdrie Fair Access program
If you have been approved under the former APSP program and have an active APSP card, you will maintain your membership and can continue to use your card to access eligible subsidies until the end of your term.
You do not need to reapply for the program until your current term ends or until 2024.
Your subsidy will be increased from 50% to 75% for the remainder of your term and current cards will be valid until expiry, or until Dec. 31, 2023 (for current subsidy holders with an expiry date in 2024). When your term ends you will need to reapply to the AFA program and your subsidy rate will be determined based on your application and income at that time.