Calgary strikes affordable housing committee

Calgary city council unanimously voted Monday to use $63 million in existing money from the province to start building as many as 2,000 affordable housing units over the next five years.

It will alsoset up acommittee to look at how other North American cities have used incentives to reduce waiting lists for affordable housing.

"This one says let's look at innovative strategies," said Mayor Dave Bronconnier. "Let's look at secondary suites. Let's buy new apartment buildings. Let's look at renovating some existing stock that maybe the city can buy."

Calgaryhas more than 2,000 people on a growing waiting list for affordable housing in the city as rents continue to jump and rental apartments are converted to condominiums.

Bronconnier backed away from plans to turn illegal secondary suites in existing neighbourhoods into legal suites, and said the task force will focus on new communities that are already zoned for the suites.

The five-member committeewill be formed at the next city council meeting and reportto council by next April.