Calgary's housing market is hitting record-high prices and soaring demand, driven largely by an influx of out-of-province buyers attracted to Calgary’s comparatively lower costs. With multi-family home sales reaching near-record levels in 2023, new development activity has surged, including an increase in condominium launches. The rental market faces similarly high demand, with vacancy rates dipping below 3%, which has pushed rents upward and intensified affordability challenges for residents.
To meet these challenges, developers are adopting creative approaches, such as converting office spaces into residences and refurbishing aging buildings. One example is Toronto-based Bluevale Capital Group, which recently completed Beltline Terrace, a 16-unit affordable housing project in Calgary’s Beltline district. By retrofitting an underused structure, Bluevale quickly added affordable housing in a fraction of the time and cost required to build from scratch, highlighting the potential for repurposing existing buildings to expand housing supply rapidly.