In cities across the country, modest homes have become unaffordable for typical families. Calgary and Edmonton have not been immune to this trend, but they’ve weathered it better than most — largely by making it easier to build homes. Specifically, faster permit approvals, lower municipal fees and fewer restrictions on homebuilders have helped both cities maintain an affordability edge in an era of runaway prices. To preserve that edge, they must stick with — and strengthen — their pro-growth approach.

First, the bad news. Buying a home remains a formidable challenge for many families in Calgary and Edmonton. For example, in 2023 (the latest year of available data), a typical family earning the local median after-tax income — $73,420 in Calgary and $70,650 in Edmonton — had to save the equivalent of 17.5 months of income in Calgary ($107,300) or 12.5 months in Edmonton ($73,820) for a 20% downpayment on a typical home (single-detached house, semi-detached unit or condominium).

Even after managing such a substantial downpayment, the financial strain would continue. Mortgage payments on the remaining 80% of the home’s price would have required a large — and financially risky — share of the family’s after-tax income: 45.1% in Calgary (about $2,757 per month) and 32.2% in Edmonton (about $1,897 per........

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