It's no secret that affordable housing is hard to come by in Calgary.

Plenty of studies, including several by the municipal government, have pointed to this problem in the past. Yet none have been able to provide a comprehensive picture – until now.

Earlier this month, the City of Calgary released an unprecedented report called Housing in Calgary: An Inventory of Housing Supply, 2015/2016.

Calgary is coming together to win the war on homelessness, one home at a time

What a difference a year can make. The City of Calgary launched its affordable housing strategy in July 2016, aiming for a more unified approach to building more housing for low-income individuals and families. Since then, a lot has happened, according to groups that provide housing for low-income Calgarians.

"What we've seen in the first year is a tremendous drive toward increased collaboration and recognition that none of us can go it alone," said Kim O'Brien, CEO of Horizon Housing Society.

The importance of working together in a more co-ordinated fashion cannot be understated because the challenge of providing affordable housing in Calgary is daunting. It's a problem the City, as well as other Canadian municipalities, have been struggling to address for several years – despite the best of intentions.