The Alberta government is set to announce a new initiative to help build homes in the province.

Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services Jason Nixon will announce details of the plan at the McDougall Center in Calgary on Wednesday.

He will be joined by executives from the Construction Industry and Land Development Association, a group representing home builders, land developers and other companies involved in the construction industry.

Details of the strategy were not disclosed, but the announcement came a day after Habitat for Humanity Canada released a report on housing affordability issues.

The organization helps provide affordable housing to thousands of Canadians from coast to coast. Affordable Housing Research Tuesday’s meeting looked at the wider impacts of the country’s housing crisis.

Habitat for Humanity found that 84 per cent of Calgarians believe homeownership has become a luxury on par with the national average.

It was also revealed that 88 percent of Canadian renters think they will never be able to own a home.

“Canadians are sending a clear message: the housing crisis is no longer just about housing,” Pedro Barata, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada, said in a news release.

“This is particularly evident for young Canadians who are rethinking or postponing major life decisions in favor of homeownership, signaling a profound and lasting impact on future generations and society as a whole.”

In Calgary, 74 per cent of respondents worried about sacrificing money spent on food, clothing, basic needs and education to cover rent or mortgage payments.

39 per cent of Calgarians said they are considering delaying starting a family because they can’t afford a home.

The survey also found that those in Calgary are most concerned about the impact the housing crisis will have on their mental and physical health (87 per cent), even more so than those living in Vancouver (85 per cent) and the Greater Toronto Area (82 per cent). percent) and Montreal (81 percent).

Habitat for Humanity also found that the housing crisis is having a negative impact on homeowners across the country, with 39 percent of people saying mortgage payments are a constant source of stress.

“Helping Canadians become affordable homeowners is crucial to combating the housing crisis and should be a public policy priority,” Barata said.

The online survey conducted by Leger included 1,510 Canadians aged 18 and over between August 22 and September 2, 2024.

For comparison purposes, the margin of error for a probability sample of 1,000 respondents is +/- 2.5 percent, or 19 out of 20.