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Planning Strategies & Guidelines
The City of Beaumont is developing several strategies and guidelines that support the City’s directional plans in a variety of theme areas.
We are developing the Age-Friendly Strategy to ensure the City remains an accessible and desirable place to live at all stages of life. We are also developing an Affordable Housing Strategy to support the City’s growth as a complete community, offering a range of housing options for a diversity of residents.
Find out more and how you can take part below.
The City is developing an Affordable Housing Strategy to ensure Beaumont grows as a vibrant, inclusive community of choice for a diversity of residents and businesses. Since last autumn, we have been gathering housing data, engaging with local developers and non-profit housing providers, and consulting residents on how the City can best support a high-quality and affordable mix of housing options in our community. The draft Affordable Housing Strategy is now ready for public review. A survey was open from June 21 to July 9, 2021, and further information can be accessed below.
- Watch our introductory video to learn about the project and the strategy.
- Check out the draft needs assessment report.
- Read a summary of the draft strategy, or the full draft strategy.
For more information, check out our affordable housing FAQ. You can also email planning@beaumont.ab.ca or phone Beaumont City Hall at 780-929-8782.
What is affordable housing?
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) considers housing to be “affordable” when all its costs (including rent/mortgage, utilities, insurance, condo fees, etc.) add up to less than 30% of a household’s pre-tax income. Housing that is affordable can include both owned and rented housing. It can also include a wide range of housing types, ranging from market-price homes, townhomes and apartments of various sizes; to housing built or operated with subsidies that reduce costs; to housing that includes social supports for its residents.
Why an Affordable Housing Strategy?
In 2016, 39% of renter households and 11% of owner households in Beaumont were spending an unaffordable amount of their income on shelter. Individuals and families living in unaffordable housing have less money available for other important expenses such as groceries, savings, health care, and children’s needs. Unaffordable housing, and related stress and instability, are linked to ill health, poorer educational outcomes for children, and lower community cohesion.
The Strategy will help implement policy direction in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Growth Plan and the Municipal Development Plan for the City to promote the development of both market and non-market affordable housing. Doing so will, in turn, support the City’s development as a complete community. Complete communities meet people’s needs for daily living at all ages and provide convenient access to a mix of jobs, local services, a full range of housing, community infrastructure and multi-modal transportation choices.
Groups in need of affordable housing options in Beaumont today include seniors on fixed incomes, adults affected by industry layoffs, single-parent families, and young Beaumont residents leaving the family home for the first time.
What are the benefits of affordable housing?
Individuals, families and communities all benefit when housing is affordable. Affordable housing is associated with better health, financial security, and stability for individual households, and with reduced commuting costs and time. In turn, this fosters greater community engagement, better public health and educational outcomes, and a stronger local economy.
How is the Strategy being developed?
The Strategy will include a comprehensive assessment of housing affordability issues in Beaumont. It will recommend specific actions that the City and its partners can take to address these issues, and set out a plan for implementing those actions.
The Strategy is being led by Beaumont staff and supported by an external consultant with expertise in affordable housing policy and development. It is being guided by a Working Group made up of local service providers and will include a variety of opportunities for public engagement.
- A community survey was live from October 21 until November 13.
- A public online workshop was held on Thursday, November 19 from 7 to 8 p.m. Check out the presentation recording on our YouTube channel.
- The public provided feedback on a second survey, which was open from June 21 to July 9, 2021.
Thank you to all those who took part in the public engagement! The draft Needs Assessment Report can be viewed here.
In 2021, the project team and the Working Group will be developing the strategy based on housing data and the public engagement feedback.
Have Questions?
Please contact Long Range Planning by e-mail at planning@beaumont.ab.ca
The City of Beaumont is developing an Age-Friendly Strategy to ensure we offer the best possible quality of life to residents as they age.
From May 5-21, 2021, the City gathered feedback to make sure the draft Age-Friendly Strategy meets our community’s needs and supports our great quality of life.
- Watch our introductory video (approximately two minutes) to learn about the Strategy project.
- Check out the draft strategy summary or the full draft strategy.
Why an Age-Friendly Strategy?
As global life expectancies increase, the share of the world’s population aged 65 years and older is growing faster than any other age group. In 2016, the number of seniors in Canada exceeded the number of children aged 0-14 years for the first time. This trend is holding true in Beaumont, where the number of seniors is growing faster than other age groups.
The Age-Friendly Strategy is being developed to respond proactively to this demographic change. It will identify needs in Beaumont related to age-friendly facilities and services, recommend actions that the City and its partners can take to address them, and set out a plan for implementing those actions. In doing so, the Age-Friendly Strategy will help implement policy direction in the Municipal Development Plan to ensure housing, public spaces, transportation, social and recreation programs and other services meet residents’ needs at all stages of life.
What does “aging in place” mean? What is an “age-friendly community”?
“Aging in place” refers to a person’s ability to live in the same home or community safely, independently, and comfortably, as they age. “Age-friendly communities” are those that help promote aging in place by fostering both individual health and supportive physical, social and policy environments.
What are the benefits of an age-friendly strategy?
Communities that are safe, functional and welcoming for older adults are also more accessible for residents of all ages and abilities. Other benefits of planning for age-friendly environments include improved resident health and community engagement, more business opportunities, and wiser use of public resources in service provision.
How is the strategy being developed?
The process began in summer 2020, and the strategy is expected to be complete in spring 2021.
The draft strategy is based on a framework developed by the World Health Organization and endorsed by the Public Health Agency of Canada and Alberta Health. This framework considers both physical infrastructure (such as public spaces, buildings, transportation and housing) and community programs and attributes (such as social inclusion, civic participation, communication, and health services).
The Age-Friendly Strategy project has been guided by a working group made up of local service providers and seniors. The first round of public engagement in October and November 2020 focused on learning about Beaumont’s age-friendly needs. It included:
- a community survey; and
- a public online workshop (check out the recording on our YouTube channel).
The spring 2021 public engagement was aimed at gathering your feedback on the draft strategy before being finalized and presented to Council.
Have Questions?
You can visit the following links for information on age-friendly communities from:
Otherwise, please contact Long Range Planning by e-mail at planning@beaumont.ab.ca.