Csication: Protected A ALBERTA SENIORS, COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL SERVICES Of fhe Miner — uly 27,2023, Honourable Sean Fraser Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities House of Commons. Parliament Bulcings Ottawa, ON K14 0A6 Dear Mrister Fraser: Congratulations on your appointment as Minster of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. (On Behalf of Albertans, we would like to draw your attention to an important issue. We are ‘wring to express our deep concerns wth the recent funding decisions around federal housing iniatives. Alberta, ike al provinces in Canada, is facing a housing crisis and cost of lvng crisis ‘that has created an urgent demand for supportive and affordable housing, Alberta's provincial ‘and municipal governments share a commitment to working together wit all orders of, {Qovernment to ind innovative housing solutions and increase the Supply of deeply affordable rousing, (On July 12, 2023, the Ministry of Alberta Seniors, Community and Social Services wasnotfied by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) as tothe status of Alberta’s ‘successful applications under the Rapid Housing Iniative (RHI) phase three funding steams (cles eream and projects stream). We were deeply disappointed to lear that CMHC only selected six applications out of 39 from ‘Alberta The funding to these Alberta projects for $38.3 milion is only 26 per cent ofthe $1.5 billon ®HI fund allocated in phase three, and the 200 units funded for Alberta represenis only 3.8 per cent of§.200 units funded through ths intiatve. Given that Alberta is Canada's fourth largest province representing approximately 12 per cent of Canada's total population, we find these dsproportionate results very troubling. Furthemore, many ofthe proposed projects that went unfunded were in diectagnmest with {ederal policy objectives, such as proximity to transi infrastructure. While we appreciate the suppor recelved during previous allocations of RHI, we are concermed that now Albertans are being let behind We are concemed thatthe federal government does not have a comprehensive understanding ofthe unique challenges Alberta and Alberta's large municipalities face, particularly the Significant over-representation of Indigenous people in our homeless population and the need for deeo subsidy affordable housing an20sr2Page 2 Large municipalities in Alberta are also taking on unprecedented in-migration, which often includes newcomers who are escaping violence in home nations and require access to affordable family units. The lack of equitabe regional representation in funding outcomes of ‘ederal programs, including RHI, stains relationships at al levels of government, and more imporanty, leaves Alberta's most vulnerable community members behind (On behalf of Abertans, we are requesting two clear actions: 1) reconsider funding allocation to Lnfunded RH project stream applications, through Rll o alternative funding sources; 2) tke immediate action to develop an equitable funding model in which provinces and tetris, and ‘municpaltes, are appropriately resourced to deal wth the housing challenges in our Jurisdictions, Sincerely, or Teron Non Hinster of Senor, Community and Social Servces (Sebi ior Amarest Son. Cty of Eemonton Ei Mayor Wyo Gondek, Gly of Calgary ‘lassication:Proected A arzoer2