Soldier's housing still inadequate

When the Federal government decided to close some bases in western Canada and consolidate the western Army in Edmonton 10 years ago, there were a few people who wondered if it was a good idea. The population of the base ramped up past 5000 soldiers and these people were told that their housing needs would be taken care of..... eventually. Time went by and around 2001, more than half of the military housing that did exist was sold to Canada Lands Corporation, which developed the 250 hectare area into a nice new neighbourhood - with no new neighbourhood to replace it.

Unfortunately, the real estate market in Alberta is very hot right now, with the average home price in Edmonton around $413,000. So soldiers' families cannot afford these kinds of prices when in many cases there is only one wage earner in a military family. As a result, many military families are living up to 2 hours away from the Base to keep home costs down. Some military members being told they're getting transferred to Edmonton are threatening to give up their careers to avoid the economic hardship.

I completely understand their predicament having finished my military career there. Just so you know, although military housing is much cheaper (to rent) than living on the economy, they are not luxury homes. Most military housing is 1950s vintage, with outdated and ineffectual insulation, wiring and plumbing. And the folks who manage those homes make sure rents go up every time the soldiers get a raise.

More on the story here.