Fringing the Bow River Valley with stunning views of the Rockies, the neighbouring northwest communities of Scenic Acres and Silver Springs offer a connected lifestyle in an established area.

At the opening of training camp in June 2012, even though he was already five years into his tenure with the Calgary Stampeders, Rob Cote felt anything but secure.

"So, a very stressful time to be doing anything else but concentrating on football,'' said the Cochrane-born fullback. "Especially to be making a huge financial decision like buying a house.

As part of REALTORS^® Care Week and National Housing Day, Calgary Realtors recently took part in a build day at Habitat for Humanity's newest affordable housing development in Silver Springs.

National Housing Day highlights the importance and need for affordable housing across Canada.

Nov. 22 is National Housing Day, a valuable reminder of the urgent need for more affordable housing in and around Calgary.

According to Habitat for Humanity, one in five Canadians is currently living in housing that is unsafe or unaffordable, with Calgary ranking as one of the most difficult cities for low-income earners to live in.

For anyone looking to buy an affordable condo in Calgary, now is the time, with a variety of both townhome- and apartment-style units available for $250,000 or less throughout much of the city.

Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta's Silvercreek Legacy build is now underway in the northwest Calgary community of Silver Springs. Work started on the affordable housing project at the end of November, and since then water and sewer have gone in, with the foundation set to be poured at the end of January.

In a recent survey, Alberta's homebuyers ranked as the most family focused in all of Canada.

The National Home Buyer Preferences Survey conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights, said 19 per cent of Alberta homebuyers placed family-oriented neighbourhood as the number community criteria, more than any other province.