City to Host June 2 Dialogue Session With Industry, Government and Community Leaders
The City of Prince Albert is bringing together representatives from across the housing sector and broader community as it works to address growing housing pressures and long-term development needs identified in a recent assessment.
City officials announced that a community dialogue session will take place on June 2, 2026, inviting stakeholders from business, finance, faith organizations, housing providers and multiple levels of government to help shape the municipality’s draft Housing Strategy and Action Plan.
The meeting is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Margo Fournier Arts Centre, located at 1010 Central Avenue.
Municipal leaders say the initiative is intended to create a coordinated response to housing challenges that cannot be addressed by local government alone.
“Housing is not something the City can solve alone,” said Michael Nelson, City of Prince Albert. “This meeting is about bringing the right partners to the table — builders, lenders, nonprofit housing providers, faith communities, and all five levels of government — to identify what we can accomplish together.”
Housing Assessment Highlights Growing Demand
The upcoming consultation follows the completion of the 2024 Prince Albert Housing Needs Assessment, which outlined significant housing shortfalls and increasing demand across several segments of the population.
According to the assessment, Prince Albert will require 1,097 new housing units by 2036 to meet projected demand. The report also found that the city will need to nearly double its current pace of residential construction, increasing annual housing development from 87 units to approximately 160 units per year.
Affordable Housing and Homelessness Pressures Identified
The assessment identified multiple areas of concern related to affordability and housing accessibility.
Among the findings was a gap of 1,470 affordable housing units across the community. The report also noted that 875 Indigenous households are currently experiencing core housing need, highlighting ongoing disparities in access to suitable and affordable accommodation.
In addition, the city’s 2024 Point-in-Time Count identified 230 individuals experiencing homelessness, underscoring increasing pressure on emergency shelters, support services and long-term housing options.
City officials say the Housing Strategy and Action Plan is intended to establish priorities and partnerships needed to address these challenges over the coming decade.
Stakeholders to Review Draft Action Plan
During the June 2 session, participants will review the draft Housing Strategy and Action Plan and take part in facilitated discussions focused on barriers to housing construction and opportunities for collaboration.
The City said discussions will examine high-priority initiatives, strategies to accelerate housing development and ways community organizations and governments can work together to establish and meet housing targets.
Stakeholders are also expected to provide feedback on practical challenges affecting housing delivery, including financing, land availability, affordability pressures and coordination between sectors.
Broad Representation Expected
Invitations have been extended to a wide range of organizations and sectors connected to housing development and community support services.
Expected participants include representatives from financial institutions, the homebuilding industry, community housing and service organizations, faith communities, and federal, provincial, municipal, First Nation and Métis governments.
The City says the engagement session is part of a broader effort to build consensus around housing priorities while ensuring the strategy reflects the needs of residents, developers and service providers alike.
Municipal leaders have increasingly emphasized collaboration with external partners as housing affordability and supply challenges continue to affect communities across Saskatchewan and Canada more broadly.
The June session is expected to provide the City with additional feedback before finalizing its Housing Strategy and Action Plan for future implementation.