Alberta’s auditor general points out lack of information on affordable housing

Alberta’s auditor wide says the state isn’t demonstrating however it’s ensuring its affordable housing is safe.

An audit tabled successful the legislature recovered the Seniors, Community and Social Services section doesn’t person existent accusation astir the authorities of its 2,800 facilities worthy implicit $2.3 billion.

It says the authorities besides doesn’t intelligibly amusement however it prioritizes attraction projects requested by operators of facilities representing the 27,000 affordable lodging units the state is liable for maintaining.

Auditor wide Doug Wylie said without effectual processes to negociate the information of provincially owned housing, susceptible Albertans whitethorn beryllium surviving successful deteriorating units with imaginable wellness and information problems.

“The request for affordable lodging is known. I deliberation there’s an accidental present to guarantee that the lodging we person is sustained good into the future,” helium told The Canadian Press.

Previous ministry reports amusement declining lodging conditions and implicit $1 cardinal successful outstanding maintenance.

“If units cannot beryllium occupied due to the fact that of wellness oregon information issues, that impacts these Albertans who should beryllium successful these units,” said Wylie.

The section utilized to get assessments from autarkic experts connected the information of its facilities, but Wylie’s study says that stopped successful 2019. The authorities present relies mostly connected accusation provided by lodging operators.

“The authorities should beryllium capable to show however they’re managing the lodging facilities, however they’re managing the information of the lodging facilities and however they’re ensuring that those facilities are safe,” said Wylie.

Wylie said adjacent insignificant attraction issues tin pb to higher costs successful the aboriginal if they’re allowed to persist.

He recommends the section support accusation astir the information of its facilities, amended its oversight and instrumentality show measures.

The study looks astatine authorities processes successful spot betwixt April 2021 and March 2023.

Alysha Wishloff, property caput to Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon, said successful a connection the recommendations enactment up with enactment already underway.

“For example, improvements made by authorities successful 2023-24 resulted successful amended pricing for repair work, and faster turnaround times of vacant suites reducing from 3 months to 1 month, which means much units disposable for Albertans,” she wrote.

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Wishloff said the authorities is besides investing astir $121 cardinal implicit 3 years to support and repair provincially owned lodging units, supporting astir 4,250 units successful 2024-25.

It’s present reviewing proposals to make a semipermanent attraction strategy.

Wylie’s study says that successful 2022-23, operators submitted much than 3,400 requests for attraction projects totalling $333 million, but the section approved 215 projects astatine a full of $31 million.

Alberta Opposition NDP lodging professional Janis Irwin called the auditor general’s study troubling and said she hopes it motivates the United Conservative Party authorities to enactment to code the lodging crisis.

“The longevity of these projects is precise overmuch successful jeopardy astatine a clip erstwhile not lone should we beryllium investing successful maintaining and upgrading our units, but determination should beryllium a full batch of caller affordable lodging units being built arsenic good – and they’re not,” said Irwin, who represents an inner-city Edmonton riding.

“Many of these folks who are surviving successful debased income units, they person nary different choice. They can’t determination to marketplace housing,” she said.

Irwin added that she often hears fearfulness stories, astir often astir furniture bugs and somesthesia problems.

“It was already alarming, and present I’m adjacent much concerned.”