The Affordable Housing Development & Design Guidelines (hereinafter referred to as the Guidelines) is an educational resource providing guidance to non-profit and private sector advocates and developers of affordable housing in Calgary. The Guidelines offer practical advice and design suggestions for the successful creation of affordable housing. The Guidelines also present key principles that should be considered when developing an affordable housing project. The Guide is primarily intended for multi-residential rental developments, however, the principles within the document could be applicable to affordable homeownership and townhomes. The Development Team approach can be an invaluable tool to minimize and/or mitigate risk by involving stakeholders in key decision-making stages. The approach requires that the Development Team work collaboratively from project inception, through the construction phase until the building is commissioned and handed over to the operator. The Team should be comprised of members that have the necessary expertise, knowledge, and resources to make the development successful. The Development Team should use checks and balances approach to ensure that the design of the development meets the eventual client’s needs, can be built efficiently (within site constraints, on time/on a budget), maintains the architectural vision, and promotes operational efficiencies over the long-term.