BREWD Strategy

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Addressing Housing Challenges Through Business Insights: Key Findings from the BREWD Survey

Between January and February 2025, over 700 businesses from across Central Alberta participated in the Business Retention, Expansion, and Workforce Development (BREWD) survey—an ambitious analysis focused on evaluating the region’s economic foundation. This included inputs such as innovation, human capital, financial capital, infrastructure, resources, business climate, marketing, and quality of life. The goal? To determine whether the region has the capacity, competency, and responsiveness to support future economic growth and give local businesses a competitive edge. These foundation elements were put to the test to assess their ability to attract, retain, and grow business investment. The resulting data has already played a critical role in shaping strategies for economic development across the region.

A Focus on Housing: A Critical Barrier to Business Growth

As a key part of planning, data from the BREWD project—along with local insights—helped inform the 2025 Housing Needs Assessment Update. One message came through loud and clear: housing affordability and availability is a major barrier for businesses. Employers across the region consistently raised concerns about the cost and limited supply of housing, infrastructure constraints, and zoning challenges. These insights reinforced the need for a Regional Housing Supply Strategy to bring stakeholders together and tackle the growing housing gap through coordinated planning and action.

Insights from Olds: A Closer Look at Local Impact

In the Town of Olds, 125 business respondents echoed these regional concerns, identifying housing as a significant challenge to:

Key Findings from the BREWD Survey:

Recruitment Barrier

1 in 10 employers cited the lack of affordable housing as a key issue in recruiting low-wage and entry-level staff.

Reluctance to Relocate

Nearly 20% of employers reported that housing issues were discouraging workers from moving to the area.

Rental Shortages

High rental costs and limited availability were flagged as significant constraints on hiring and business expansion.

Employer-Supplied Housing

Some businesses, particularly in agriculture, now provide housing directly to workers to ease commute challenges and fill seasonal roles.

Workforce Growth at Risk

Employers expressed concern that ongoing housing shortages may restrict future workforce expansion.

Validated by the Housing Needs Assessment (HNA)

The BREWD findings align with the Town of Olds’ most recent Housing Needs Assessment. The HNA highlights a growing need for a diverse mix of housing to accommodate a rising and aging population. While single-detached homes account for 61% of all dwellings, there is growing demand for:

With home prices in Olds now outpacing similar Alberta municipalities, affordability has become a defining issue. Without bold steps to address housing gaps, economic growth and workforce attraction may stall.