Elect Socialism
Constructivist poster for Too Many Homes

Policy No. 5 · Ministry of Construction

Too Many Homes

Alberta built a record number of homes. Someone has to stop them.

In 2025, Alberta started 54,858 new homes, an all-time record. BC started 44,193.1

Calgary started 15.1 homes per 1,000 residents. Vancouver managed a dignified 8.8.2 Calgary even started more rental homes than Vancouver: 9,841 to 9,630.3

The result is a catastrophe. A two-bedroom apartment rents for $1,914 in Calgary, and a proper $2,363 in Vancouver.4 Owning a home takes 41.3% of a typical Calgary household's income. In Vancouver it takes 83.9%, which is how you know they care more.5

Affordable housing is how capitalism keeps you comfortable. Comfortable people never join committees.

The policyElect socialism. One crane per city, by permit, after a five-year review.

CALGARY IS BUILDING FAR TOO MUCH Housing starts per 1,000 residents, 2025. 81012141615.1OUT OF CONTROLCalgary12.6Edmonton10.9Victoria8.8RESTRAINTVancouver AXIS STARTS AT 8 (FROM THE HEART) CMHC housing starts; Statistics Canada population.
Every number on this chart is real. The chart itself is not our fault.

Why have Alberta rent when you could have Vancouver rent?

The numbers (that don't matter)

We cite our sources. We just don't read them.

  1. Alberta started 54,858 homes in 2025, an all-time record for the province and 24% more than BC's 44,193, which works out to 10.9 starts per 1,000 residents in Alberta versus 7.8 in BC. Statistics Canada (CMHC data) · D1
  2. In 2025 Calgary started 27,684 homes and Edmonton 21,337, which is 15.1 and 12.6 per 1,000 residents, against 8.8 per 1,000 for Vancouver (27,185 starts) and 10.9 for Victoria (4,859). Statistics Canada (CMHC data) · D4
  3. Calgary started 9,841 rental homes in 2025, up from 913 in 2018 and now more than Vancouver's 9,630 despite Calgary having 59% of Vancouver's population; Victoria's rental starts per person (7.2 per 1,000) were still the highest of the four cities. Statistics Canada (CMHC data) · D5
  4. In CMHC's October 2025 survey the average two-bedroom purpose-built apartment rented for $1,914 in Calgary and $1,603 in Edmonton, versus $2,363 in Vancouver and $2,120 in Victoria, so Calgary was 19% cheaper than Vancouver and Edmonton 32% cheaper. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation · D6
  5. RBC's Q2 2026 affordability measure says owning a home takes 83.9% of median household income in Vancouver and 63.3% in Victoria, versus 41.3% in Calgary and 36.8% in Edmonton (Canada: 52.8%). RBC Economics · D10

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