Housing numbers in Calgary continue to climb, even as data from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) shows a softening in housing starts across the rest of the country. According to CMHC, in Calgary housing starts rose 16 per cent, while dropping nationally by 12.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2025.
Calgary’s strong start to the year saw the number of new, move-in-ready homes more than double the previous year’s first quarter, with 7,965 homes deemed ready for occupancy since January 1. The availability of more diverse housing types also continued to grow across the spectrum. Since the beginning of the year, 3,689 multi-residential (apartment), 1,711 secondary suites,1,324 single detached homes, 760 rowhouse/townhouse and 481 semi-detached homes have become available to Calgarians.
“We estimate that these 7,965 new units will provide housing for approximately 21,000 Calgarians this quarter alone,” says Reid Hendry, Chief Housing Officer at the City of Calgary. “The homes available today were built because of policy decisions made 12-18 months ago. Implementing Home is Here – Calgary’s Housing Strategy has enabled us to streamline planning policy, create incentives, and build programs that remove barriers to increasing the supply of housing. We are now starting to see the outcomes of those changes in real time.”
While the numbers demonstrate great progress and are worth celebrating, with an average of 275 people per day moving to Calgary, there is more work to do to close the housing gap, Hendry says, “Thousands of Calgarians are still struggling to find housing that suits their needs and at least one in five households are struggling to afford where they currently live.”
To address the housing crisis, The City is working in lockstep with industry partners to ensure continued confidence in Calgary as a place to invest and build.
“Timely, cost-effective additions to housing supply continues to be the key to unlocking the door to housing affordability. We know bolstering the housing supply and addressing affordability can only be done with a proactive approach that challenges current practices, rethinks conventional approaches and inspires actionable change,” says Brian Hahn, Chief Executive Officer, BILD Calgary Region. “Working with our municipal partners, gives us an opportunity to share how innovative construction methods can help us reduce costs and accelerate housing delivery in Calgary and allows us to work together to improve efficiency, streamline processes and advocate for change.”
The City is committed to increasing housing supply, choice and affordability for all Calgarians, ensuring Calgary remains one of the most attractive and livable cities in the world.
