Supportive housing

Supportive living promotes independent living for residents within a residential housing setting while offering access to care and additional services to meet their evolving needs. Supportive living accommodations serve the needs of many individuals, ranging from younger people to seniors who require support services for mental health diagnoses or physical disabilities. These accommodations vary in size, physical design, and service offerings and are critical to creating inclusive and thriving communities.

The City of Airdrie's Land Use Bylaw classifies supportive living accommodations into two categories: Supportive housing, limited and supportive housing, general.

• Supportive housing, limited: long-term accommodation integrated with other residential land uses in a neighbourhood
  context providing on-site professional care and supervision, where services might include regular housekeeping, nursing care, personal care, health, wellness, and recreational support for three (3) to five (5) residents (clients). This use does not include an institution such as extended medical treatment centres, detention and correction facilities, or temporary care housing
• Supportive housing, general: long-term institutional care facility providing residential accommodation in addition to services for professional care, supervision and health treatment for six (6) or more residents (clients). This
  includes large-scale centres and facilities where the scale and type of services require special siting considerations or may impact adjacent lands. This use does not include an institution such as extended medical treatment centres, detention and correction facilities, or temporary care housing.

City Council directed the Planning Team to review the Land Use Bylaw regulations regarding supportive housing. The review was required to compare best regulatory practices, conduct a campaign to inform and engage the public, and ultimately provide options for regulation updates regarding this housing type. This provided an opportunity to better understand how the City’s standards could be amended to better accommodate the range of housing needs to support all of Airdrie’s residents while balancing any concerns with this type of housing option.

On November 12-14, 2024, the Planning and Communications Team held three focus groups with Airdrie residents to explore potential changes to the Land Use Bylaw relating to supportive housing. The focus groups were organized by sentiment towards and experience with supportive housing. Further, within each focus group, we sought diverse perspectives by balancing self-reported demographics such as gender, age, household income, identifying as a visible minority, and city residence location.

The Planning Team presented the proposed amendments to the Community Infrastructure and Strategic Growth Committee (CISG) on December 17th, 2024, and then to the City Council for three readings on January 21, 2025. At that meeting, City Council approved Bylaw B-33/2024.

Approval of Bylaw B-33/2024 has updated the regulations for supportive housing to maintain a degree of flexibility to accommodate the range of housing needed to support the Airdrie community while balancing common questions, concerns, and apprehensions related to this type of housing option.

Here’s what’s new:

If you are interested in operating a supportive housing facility within the City of Airdrie, you will need to apply for a SUPPORTIVE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PERMIT, building permit and a business licence. 

1. Application fee

See current Planning Fee Schedule.

2. Letter of authorization

From the registered owner(s) if the owner is not the applicant.

3. Project description

You will need to tell the City where the supportive housing will be located and identify key people related to the project, including:

• Project Property – The City needs to know the address of the supportive housing development
• Project Applicant & Contact Information – Refers to the person submitting the application
• Business Owner/Operator & Contact Information – Refers to the organization operating the supportive housing business.
• Property Owner – Refers to the owner on the title of the property.

4. Required documents

• Site Plan (including property fence location)
• Floor Plans (of all levels of the housing accommodation)
• Exterior Elevations
• Certificate of Title
• Recommended Public Engagement Guide (Filled Out)
• External Approvals
• Letters of Support from Adjacent Landowners ( Preferred but not required)

5. Business description/detail

You will need to attach a written explanation of the operation of the supportive housing proposal. In the description, please describe the following:

• The level of care and supervision your supportive housing development will provide its clients (staff providing on-site professional care should have professional training and certification).
• The number of clients residing in the home.
• The number of staff on the property and their schedule.
• Whether frequent visits to the property from emergency vehicles can be expected.
• List of certifications and licenses held by the caregivers and other staff.

6. External approvals & licensing

List permit approvals and licenses issued from other governing agencies that you have obtained (i.e., health approval, supportive living license, facility-based childcare license, etc).

7. RECOMMENDED PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT GUIDE / Letters of support

Applicants are strongly encouraged to conduct public engagement within a 60m radius of the subject parcel before applying for a supportive housing accommodation.

An engagement process is intended to advise communities in a proactive and relationship-oriented way to ensure the long-term success of your project.