Alberta Housing Starts up 35% in 2024

January 3, 2025

Alberta housing starts rise to 42,954 so far in 2024, a 35 per cent increase over the same period last year.

Alberta is ending the year strong, leading Canada with the highest per capita housing starts in the country from January-November. Monthly data from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) reinforces that Alberta continues to show strong success in increasing its housing supply, which will help stabilize costs and improve the housing outlook for Albertans across the province.

Alberta’s government recognizes the need for more housing options as the population continues to grow. That’s why the province has been working to reduce barriers and empower its housing partners to get more shovels in the ground.

Alberta’s government continues to support builders and encourage new residential housing construction by cutting red tape, incentivizing housing construction and supporting innovative strategies to build homes faster than ever.

Last month, government launched the Stop Housing Delays online portal for developers and municipal authorities to help identify areas that are preventing fast and efficient residential construction. This portal will help government identify and address barriers to building homes across the province so that Alberta can continue building homes as quickly as possible.

Quick facts

• Housing starts for January – November 2024 compared with January – November 2023
  • Provincewide: 42,954 compared with 31,733 (up 35 per cent)
  • Edmonton: 16,939 compared with 11,427 (up 48 per cent)
  • Calgary: 22,652 compared with 18,086 (up 25 per cent)
  • Red Deer: 342 compared with 180 (up 90 per cent)
• The first half of 2024 saw 9,903 apartment unit starts – the highest in any half-year in Alberta’s history. This broke the record set previously in 1977.
• In addition, as of September 2024, Alberta’s government has committed:
  • $182.4 million to 1,235 units of affordable housing. Construction on these projects is not yet underway.
  • $66.8 million to 451 units of affordable housing that are currently under construction.
  • $52.1 million to 250 units of affordable housing that have been completed since December 2023.
• Since 2019, Alberta’s government has invested almost $850 million to build more than 5,100 affordable housing units and close to 900 shelter spaces. This includes projects we have committed to, that are in progress and that are complete.  
• Together with its partners, Alberta’s government is supporting $9 billion in investments into affordable housing to support 25,000 additional low-income households by 2031.

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