Calgary Housing: Forest Lawn Prices Surge Amid Gentrification Crisis

CALGARY, AB — Forest Lawn is experiencing the sharpest housing transformation in the city, with average home prices nearly doubling since the pandemic—from under $300,000 to nearly $500,000 today—sparking a heated debate over whether the historic working-class community is being revitalized or priced out of existence.

The friction is real. New fourplex units are selling for up to $1 million. Two-bedroom townhouses are hitting the rental market at $2,400 a month. And residents are watching developers tear through the neighborhood armed with federal financing tools like the CMHC MLI Select program, which funds purpose-built rentals but doesn't guarantee affordability for the people already living there.

The Money Driving the Machine

The City of Calgary's Greater Forest Lawn Communities Local Area Plan—a 30-year blueprint for densification—is the green light developers have been waiting for. The International Avenue Area Redevelopment Plan, adopted in 2018, guides growth along 17th Avenue SE. But some community members say those guidelines feel more like suggestions when new permits roll through.

Meanwhile, the City invested $1.68 million in a Forest Lawn Park rejuvenation that wrapped in Fall 2024, aiming to polish the neighborhood's image. The grand opening in September drew crowds. But the park facelift also drew speculators.

The Power Shift

Ward 9 Councillor Harrison Clark inherited this powder keg after narrowly winning the October 2025 election. His predecessor, Gian-Carlo Carra, announced in May 2025 he wouldn't seek re-election after years steering Forest Lawn's redevelopment vision. Clark's closest competitor, Gar Gar, ran on a platform that openly acknowledged gentrification concerns—a sign the issue is no longer whispered about in community halls but shouted in ballot boxes.

The Forest Lawn Community Association has partnered with the City on improvement projects, but the association's role as gatekeeper is being tested as development outpaces community input. Council Innovation Funding has been earmarked for a multi-community governance model, though the structure remains in design.

The Renter's Dilemma

Here's the gut punch: the people who made Forest Lawn home for decades—renters in aging walk-ups, families in single-detached houses carved into basement suites—are watching their rent climb or their landlords cash out. The new units flooding the market aren't priced for the existing community. They're priced for the next one.

Some market analysts suggest the $2,400+ rental rates may not hold, given the volume of new construction across Calgary. But that's cold comfort for a family facing eviction because their building just sold to a developer with a fourplex permit.

What Happens Next

The City of Calgary Planning Department holds the keys. Every development permit approved in the last 12 months has been legal under the Local Area Plan. The question isn't whether Forest Lawn will densify—it's already happening. The question is whether the City has any intention of preserving affordable housing or supporting existing renters as the neighborhood flips.

Councillor Clark has yet to announce a major affordability initiative for Forest Lawn in the 2026 budget cycle. The clock is ticking. Community forums are lighting up with frustration. And the developers? They're already breaking ground on the next block.