For immediate release – July 16, 2025 

Alberta’s Ministry of Assisted Living and Social Services has increased rent by $220/month, or 63%, for Community Housing tenants with disabilities who receive support from AISH.  

Tina Trigg, President of Inclusion Alberta and parent of a young woman with intellectual disabilities said, “I can only imagine how devastating and terrifying this latest announcement is for adults with disabilities on AISH who rely on subsidized Community Housing. It is unconscionable that our government is consigning people with disabilities into deeper and deeper poverty, not recognizing the sharply rising cost of living and additional barriers they already live with each and every day. People deserve better.” 

This rent increase comes soon after the Alberta government has announced it will be clawing back the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB), a federal initiative intended to reduce poverty, cut funding for self-advocate and family organizations, ignored calls to disclose how many 1000’s of children and adults with disabilities and their families are without needed disability support or to provide a plan to address the growing waitlists, and capped the amount AISH can increase at 2% per year regardless of how high inflation is. 

In response to the clawback of the Canada Disability Benefit, one individual who receives AISH said $200 would have been “the difference between getting uncovered prescriptions paid for or having groceries for the month. The difference between almost living and barely existing.”  

A collaborative of Alberta-based advocates, the University of Calgary’s Disability Policy Research Program and non-profits this week released a brief titled “Losing the Canada Disability Benefit means losing hope for many Albertans”, which highlights real-life examples of how the CDB clawback will keep Albertans with disabilities in poverty and recommends the policy be reversed.  

“The decisions that have been made over the past year impacting the lives and futures of children and adults with intellectual disabilities are completely out of touch with the struggles of individuals and families who are fighting to survive and striving to build lives of hope and possibility for themselves or their family member with intellectual disabilities,” says Trish Bowman, CEO of Inclusion Alberta. “Children and adults with intellectual disabilities and their families want the same opportunities to thrive and contribute to Alberta as everyone else. Even while running a huge surplus, this government has relentlessly sought to eliminate spending that supports children and adults with disabilities and their families. Why are people with disabilities being targeted yet again?” 

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Inclusion Alberta Chief Executive Officer Trish Bowman is available for interviews. Please contact Sara Protasow, Inclusion Alberta Communications Coordinator at sprotasow@inclusionalberta.org or 780-906-4693.  

About Inclusion Alberta: Inclusion Alberta is a family based, non-profit federation that advocates on behalf of children and adults with intellectual disabilities and their families. Together, we share a dream of meaningful family life and community inclusion for individuals with intellectual disabilities. As an advocacy organization we support families and individuals in their desire to be fully included in community life.