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Gaps and Opportunities in Affordable Housing Policy for Albertans with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to determine how significant an issue housing is for Albertans with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), assess how well current public policy is meeting their housing needs, and recommend public policy interventions that could be used to improve their housing situation. The research finds that Albertans with IDD have the lowest employment rate in the province and earnings are low. Therefore, many Albertans with IDD must rely on governments for income and funding for supportive services. However, participation in major government programs is low and income supports are insufficient. Alberta’s disability income benefit is currently at or below the poverty line across every region. As such, many Albertans with IDD do not have the financial resources to afford housing costs and they are missing the supports they need to live independently. Albertans with IDD have one of the highest rates of core housing need in the province, more than double the rest of the population and significantly higher than Albertans with other types of disabilities. Additionally, it is estimated that more than 50% of Albertans with IDD are living with and relying on family members. Current public policy is not meeting the housing needs of Albertans with IDD. This paper provides recommendations on how all levels of government can address this critical issue.