Construction in Alberta hits a 70-year high, with nearly 55,000 housing starts in 2025, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). This surge in construction is a response to the province's rapid population growth, which has seen an influx of immigrants and internal migrants. The CMHC report highlights a potential housing crisis, predicting an inadequate supply gap of over 3.5 million homes by 2030 to maintain 2004 affordability levels. The Alberta government and Edmonton city council have taken proactive measures to address this, updating building codes and reducing red tape to facilitate faster construction. However, the opposition housing critic, Janis Irwin, points out that this record-breaking construction doesn't benefit low-income renters or those priced out of the market. As the population growth slows, housing starts are expected to dip, but the increased construction aims to maintain affordability. The focus now shifts to the types of housing being built, with an emphasis on rentals and the potential for homeownership as residents settle in.
