In 2010, the City of Grande Prairie contracted with Robyn Newton Research & Consulting to create an Affordable Housing Master Plan to provide guidance for the City on how to preserve and enhance the affordability of housing in the City of Grande Prairie.

The consultants conducted a needs assessment to explore the current housing situation in the City of Grande Prairie, including current policies and practices, current shortfalls, housing costs relative to incomes, and projected need. A literature review explored best practices in affordable housing being implemented by other municipalities in Alberta, BC, Canada and internationally. Consultations with stakeholders were held in June and August of 2010 to confirm the findings of the needs assessment, identify issues that needed to be addressed in the Affordable Housing Master Plan, and to explore the kinds of affordable housing strategies that would be most suitable for the City of Grande Prairie. Stakeholders and City residents were also given an opportunity to provide their feedback on proposed strategies through an on-line survey that was launched in August 2010.