Renters in Black Diamond, Alta., struggle to make ends meet, report says

About two years ago, developer Peter Sutherland put up a small mixed-use building in the core of Black Diamond, Alta.

On the ground floor is a bike shop, a real estate office and a market; above are three apartments. 

To Sutherland's surprise, the apartments were snapped up before the building in the southern Alberta town had even finished construction. Even now, Sutherland said he gets a "constant stream of phone calls" from would-be tenants.

"There's so many people that are just looking for a place to live," said Sutherland. "There's very little in the market to rent and houses are just not affordable."

The tight market and the need for a greater mix of housing in Black Diamond were among the key takeaways of a recent housing needs assessment commissioned by the town and Westwinds Communities, an affordable housing provider.

The report also flagged affordability as a growing concern. The median cost of housing for renters in Black Diamond went up about 60 per cent between 2006 and 2016, the report said, well above the rate of inflation. 

According to the report, today 63 per cent of renters struggle to afford housing,

"You don't associate that [lack of affordability] with a local small town community," said Lauren Ingalls, chief administrative officer with Westwinds. 

"In reality, people are making choices. They're having to do really with less, and particularly with [what] we've seen with inflation in recent months, it's putting significant pressures on households." 

What's driving the tight market

In recent years, a growing number of people — including young families and retirees — have moved to Black Diamond in search of a better lifestyle, Ingalls said. 

Meanwhile, many landlords have sold their properties and the construction of purpose-built rentals has not kept pace, she said. 

"All of that is putting pressure on small town Alberta in terms of availability of rental stock," said Ingalls, who noted Westwinds' affordable housing waitlists are also on the rise.

The report also noted that while most homes in Black Diamond are single-detached houses, the town has a particular need for bachelor and one-bedroom units. 

Lone parents and single seniors were identified as a priority group in the housing needs assessment. While about 26 per cent of households in Black Diamond are single people — a number that's growing quickly — just one per cent of units are one-bedroom or smaller.

"You take a drive around town and you see the lots that are available, and the builds that are going on, and you don't really see a big variety in terms of housing," said Mayor Brendan Kelly. 

Push to build more affordable housing

One immediate step toward building that housing, Kelly and Ingalls said, is to advocate for the province to give Westwinds a parcel of land that's adjacent to its existing Black Diamond seniors homes.

In a statement, the Ministry of Seniors and Housing said it will consider any requests "that support municipalities and housing providers to increase capacity of the affordable housing sector," though it didn't comment on the specific property. 

Turner Valley, Alta. Mayor Barry Crane told CBC News he supports the move. Although the housing needs assessment pre-dated the decision for Black Diamond and Turner Valley to amalgamate on Jan.1, 2023, Crane said building more diverse housing is also a major priority in his community. 

"There's no question that the need is there, and the desire to fill it will also have to equal it," said Crane.

Senior Irene Davidson, 75, who lives in one of the Westwinds properties, hopes that's the case. 

Davidson said she loves Black Diamond, but remembers struggling to find an affordable place to rent when she moved to town eight years ago. She imagines the problem has only gotten worse since then. 

"We need studio apartments with facilities, easy access for people with limited mobility — we don't have any of that here," said Davidson.