A Place to Call Home: The Future of Seniors and Community Housing

Cross Border Interview
20 hours ago
2 min read

In this edition of Municipal Affairs, we’re turning our focus to one of the most pressing issues facing communities across Alberta: seniors and community housing.

In 2025, the landscape of affordable and supportive housing continues to challenge municipalities large and small, from the bustling urban centres to the tight-knit rural communities where seniors are seeking to age in place.

At the centre of this conversation is the Alberta Seniors & Community Housing Association, or ASCHA. For those unfamiliar, ASCHA is a non-profit provincial organization that represents approximately 80 percent of Alberta’s seniors and community housing providers. While they do not directly provide housing themselves, ASCHA acts as a vital hub for advocacy, education, and best practices—helping housing providers deliver the best possible accommodations, services, and supports to the Albertans who rely on them.

Collectively, ASCHA’s members house well over 100,000 Albertans across the full continuum of housing, working hand in hand with municipalities, provincial and federal governments, developers, community organizations, and service providers. Their work ensures that communities have access to the data, resources, and guidance needed to strengthen housing options for seniors and other vulnerable Albertans.

Now, we’ll take a close look at the challenges the community housing market faced in 2025, the gaps that still exist as we head into 2026, and the steps municipalities can take—alongside ASCHA—to ensure all Albertans have a place to call home.

Joining us today are two key voices in this important work: James Nibourg, ASCHA President and councillor with the County of Stettler, and Irene Martin-Lindsay, ASCHA’s Executive Director.

Together, they’ll share insights into ASCHA’s accomplishments over the past year, the advocacy efforts that are shaping policy and practice, and the outlook for 2026 as Alberta communities continue to navigate the evolving housing landscape.

Let’s dive in.

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