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.
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:
| Previous Regulations | New Regulations | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition & Maximum Intensity | There is no reference to the length of stay or a minimum or maximum number of residents/clients. |
Reference to long-term accommodation. Supportive Housing, Limited = 3-5 residents/clients. Supportive Housing, General = 6 or more residents/clients. |
| Development Permit Required vs. Exempt | A Development Permit is always required. | Development Permit no longer required when there are 2 or fewer residents/clients. |
| Parking | As per the appropriate residential housing form (often times 2 stalls). | As per the appropriate residential housing form PLUS 1 per staff on-site. |
| Public Engagement Before Application Submission | There is no reference to a requirement, but it is strongly encouraged. | Application may require the submission of: a) Proof of completed engagement within 60m of the subject property. b) a description of how communication with neighbours will continue in perpetuity. |
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.
See current Planning Fee Schedule.
From the registered owner(s) if the owner is not the applicant.
You will need to tell the City where the supportive housing will be located and identify key people related to the project, including:
You will need to attach a written explanation of the operation of the supportive housing proposal. In the description, please describe the following:
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).
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.
The City of Airdrie has no substantiated evidence indicating that non-market housing, including supportive housing, has a negative effect on the value of neighbouring properties. The value of residential real estate, both in terms of assessment and sale value, is primarily influenced by local and global economic factors rather than the introduction of new non-market housing within the community.
Local property value assessments are shaped by various factors, such as location and lot characteristics. Elements such as the shape, size and proximity to commercial areas, transit infrastructure and essential services play a significant role. The income level or ownership status of residents within a particular development does not factor into property value assessments.
If non-market housing is well-designed, fits in with the surrounding neighbourhood, and is well managed, property values of neighbouring homes are not negatively impacted.
There is no correlation or evidence to suggest that supportive housing increases crime and disorder. Social disorder linked with homelessness occurs when people do not have suitable homes and support. Supportive housing can help to fix this problem.
The continuing care system plays an important role in the delivery of Alberta’s health services. It is divided into three categories: home and community care, continuing care homes, and supportive living accommodations.
Alberta Health oversees the licensing, delivery of care, and compliance monitoring of supportive living accommodations. Alberta Health also upholds the requirements and expectations outlined in the CONTINUING CARE ACT, multiple supporting regulations, the ACCOMMODATION STANDARDS – SUPPORTIVE LIVING, and general health service standards.
Operators of supportive living accommodations must apply to Alberta Health for initial licensing, renewal of licenses, changes in ownership, or relocation licenses. Alberta Health requires a license when an operator provides permanent accommodation to four or more adults, arranges for services related to the residents' safety, security, or personal welfare, and provides at least one meal a day or housekeeping services.
The Province has the authority to investigate complaints of non-compliance with legislation, an operator’s specified terms and conditions of their license, or residents being in danger. Alberta Health conducts regular inspections to ensure operators follow accommodation standards and can employ various enforcement tools to address a situation, including conversations with the operator about accommodation standards and various ways to achieve compliance, offering consultation, or issuing immediate actions. If you have a concern with an accommodation, accommodation services, or a concern about abuse or the safety of a resident in a licensed supportive living accommodation, contact the Continuing Care Licensing Office at 1.888.357.9339 or by email at CCLO@gov.ab.ca.
The City’s responsibility falls into three general areas: Business Licensing, Development Permits, and Building Permits. Every business, occupation, or trade that is carried on with the intention of making a profit within the City of Airdrie limits requires a business license. This includes supportive living operators. The City also reviews, evaluates, and renders a decision on Development Permit and Building Permit applications for supportive housing ‘land uses.' A land use means the purpose or activity for which a site or parcel or its buildings are designed, arranged, developed, or intended, or for which it is occupied or maintained.
The City has limited control over dictating who can occupy a specific 'land use' on a property. The Land Use Bylaw regulates the 'use' and not the 'user.' There are no policies or provisions that control future occupants that may reside within a home. Indicators such as age, race, background, income, lifestyle, and level of supportive care are not part of a permit review process. Further, the City can only advise a prospective supportive housing operator to obtain the necessary licenses and approvals required by the Provincial Government to operate their business.
The City of Airdrie has the authority to enforce compliance with the Land Use Bylaw policy and its minimum standards regarding supportive housing land use, conditions of an approved Development Permit, and community standards requirements. Examples of non-compliance could relate to the number of occupants, staff, parking stalls, general noise, snow clearing, and unsightly premises. If non-compliance occurs, the Compliance Officer and/or Community Peace Officer will take remedial measures or issue warnings.
When a proposed development is listed as a 'Discretionary Use' within a Land Use District, adjacent landowners whose property lines are next to the subject parcel are notified. The conditional approval is advertised in the City newspaper and posted online.
Effective May 3, 2023, the Planning and Development Department has increased the notification distance for all supportive housing uses to include adjacent property owners within a minimum of 60m radius.
*For further information, please review the following: Supportive housing application requirements