Social and Economic Outcomes of Complementary Currency Systems within the Affordable Housing Sector

Abstract

The thesis of this paper is that residents of affordable housing buildings that participate in Calgary Dollars (C$) report social and economic benefits which are correlated to their C$ participation, especially for those that report physical or mental limitations. This paper seeks to identify the role of complementary currency within the field of community economic development. The complementary currency studied is Calgary Dollars (C$) which was created in 1996, has been funded as a program of the City of Calgary since 2003, and became a digital currency in 2018. In 2018, C$ was integrated with numerous affordable housing agencies, including Norfolk Housing Association and Calgary Housing Company, those included in this research.