Everyone enjoys getting mail. And a good letter to a politician can be a powerful contribution to policy development, a chance to use your democratic rights for something more than marking your ballot in an election once every few years. Politicians themselves agree that several letters from constituents on the same issue are an indication an issue is important and they begin to pay attention. Imagine the power of 50 letters to each elected politician on the same issue!

1. Type/print the letter if possible, otherwise hand write neatly.
2. Clearly included your name and full contact information (postal and/or email address).
3. Postal mail or email is preferable to faxing.
4. Keep the letter brief and focus on a single policy or suggestion- write about other matters other times.
5. Make clear exactly what you are asking or requesting and state that you are expecting a response.
6. Avoid unrelated details ("It was good to see you recently at the dinner..." Or "You will remember working with me on your campaign in...").
7. If there is a related matter about which a sincere and appropriate commendation can be made that is useful, but avoid exaggerated flattery or "stretching" to find something positive to say.
8. Many advocates believe it is valuable to show at the bottom of your letter that you are copying it to a leader/member of the opposition and/or to your own member from your constituency/riding.
9. Try not to copy someone else's letter-think about the general information and then write with your own language/voice, giving a personal perspective to it.
10. It can be helpful to have someone else read your letter and offer feedback to check that you have made your point clearly.
11. If you use facts, do all you can to be sure they are correct. The websites for Homeward Trust and Homefest have good background and links for this. Also see the 10 year plans to end homelessness that can be found at the City of Edmonton and Alberta Housing and Urban Affairs websites.
12. If it is not possible to write a letter on an issue, signing a form letter or a petition is also some value.

1. The single most important issue to raise with the federal and Alberta governments is adequate funding. The amounts being provided for all aspects of housing security are far less than needed to address the decline in supply and the growing demand. Funding needs to be dedicated to true social housing for people with the least economic resources. Most money that has been announced federally and provincially in recent years has been either to deal with absolute homelessness or for housing only slightly below market level. These things are helpful but do not address the needs of the large numbers of people who are barely keeping themselves housed by either paying far too much of their available resources for housing or by living in inappropriate housing (unsafe, unhealthy, too crowded, etc.). Both governments need to commit more new money to all aspects of social and affordable housing, including support services (see #4 below), not just construction. Money needs to be provided in programs with clear guidelines and strict controls to prevent for-profit developers accessing the money and not providing long term housing that is helpful to the neediest.
2. Supply-There is already a shortage of thousands of units of affordable housing in Edmonton, waiting lists for existing units are years long, vacancy rates are zero, and few new units are being constructed.
3. Affordability-In the strong Edmonton economy rents have become very high and there is a need for income support programs and minimum wages to be raised to keep pace with rent rates; for better rent supplement programs for some, to prevent them losing their current housing; and for stronger measures (rent controls or guidelines) to regulate the frequency and amount of possible rent increases.
4. Supports-Many of those in danger of homelessness require more than physical space-they need other services to deal with mental or physical health issues or other challenges, and organizations providing housing also need funds to operate and provide these support services-without funding for support services it may not make sense to build housing for some groups.
5. Emergency housing/shelter-Each day in Edmonton over 3000 people are unsure of where they will even be able to sleep that night, including hundreds of children. A variety of emergency shelter is needed for people in need for short periods of time. People camping and sleeping on the street are a growing issue and an organized public approach to this is needed until housing becomes available.
6. Without comprehensive housing policies and multi-year plans federally and provincially housing issues are dealt with in ad hoc ways, responding only to political pressure or crises in disconnected and ineffective ways. The provincial government rejected the proposal for developing a comprehensive plan called for in the April 2007 Affordable Housing Task Force report. Canada is the only major "developed" nation in the world without a national plan.
7. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is making large profits and was created with a mandate to ensure housing for Canadians. The federal government should be challenged to reaffirm the mandate of CMHC and invest some of this profit to build and operate social housing.

Note: Do not suggest that governments should build and/or operate housing directly-public funding is needed in the range of ways described above, but generally the impact of a letter will be lessened if it calls for such direct involvement by government, and this is not what most of the civil society sector housing community is seeking. Avoid using the letter to be critical of the actions of the for-profit sector, which will "naturally" seek to make a profit from an issue, and instead focus on suggestions about what government can do with its own resources. For example, in a strong economy a for-profit developer is more likely to build expensive houses than low-income apartments, but government is not driven by the same market forces and should exercise a responsibility to ensure some are not hurt by the market forces in action.

1. FEDERAL
   • Hon. Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development (includes Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation)
     House of Commons, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 (postage free) or Finley.D [at] parl.gc.ca
   • Hon. Michael Ignatieff, Leader of the Liberal Party
     House of Commons, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 (postage free) or Ignatieff.M [at] parl.gc.ca
   • Jack Layton, Leader of the New Democratic Party
     House of Commons, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 (postage free) or Layton.J [at] parl.gc.ca
   • Contact information for all MPs and Senators: www.parl.gc.ca
2. PROVINCIAL
   • Hon. Yvonne Fritz, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs
     #107, 10800-97 Avenue, Edmonton T5K 2B6
   • Dr. David Swann, Leader of the Official Opposition
     #201, 9718-107 Street, Edmonton T5K 1E4
   • Brian Mason, Leader of the New Democrat Opposition
     #501, 9718-107 Street, Edmonton T5K 1E4
   • Contact information for all MLAs: www.assembly.ab.ca
3. MUNICIPAL
   • Mayor Stephen Mandel, all councillors: 2nd floor, City Hall, 1 Sir Winston Churchill Square, Edmonton T5J 2R7

   Correct ward numbers and name spellings for all councillors are on the first of the "blue pages" at the beginning of the Edmonton phone book.