Urban activist Paul Hughes, right, speaks at a mayoral candidates' forum on Monday, with Ald. Bob Hawkesworth beside him. (CBC)

Incumbent alderman pointed to their records and council hopefuls called for change at a Calgary mayoral candidates' forum on affordable housing.

Nine men who have declared their intentions for the city's top job headlined Monday's forum organized by Avenue Magazine at the Bow Valley Club. Among those who have launched campaigns, only former Ald. Craig Burrows was absent.

All candidates agreed that affordable housing was a crisis in the city.

Kent Hehr, a Liberal MLA, supported legalizing secondary suites and bringing in inclusionary zoning, which requires a share of new construction to include affordable homes.

The two ideas were also popular with Naheed Nenshi, a university professor, and businessman Wayne Stewart.

Former alderman Jon Lord referred people to his website, pointing out that a few minutes wouldn't be enough to cover the work he has done on the issue over the past decade.

Urban activist Paul Hughes said the city's social housing agencies need to be better co-ordinated or even merged.

The last question from forum host and CBC journalist Kirk Heuser was asking the candidates how they would convince Calgarians that affordable housing projects belong in their neighbourhoods — and not to take up a NIMBY (not in my backyard) stance.

Candidates tout leadership skills

"You've got to show the leadership. Once you show the leadership, that's how you counteract NIMBY-ism," said Nenshi. "If you cave to every single one, you're never going to be able to move forward. So inclusionary zoning, and you've got to have guts."

"My experience is talk early, talk often, talk long, engage neighbouring residents as early in the process as you can," said veteran Ald. Bob Hawkesworth. "That was my advice to Fresh Start when they wanted to put in a residential addictions treatment centre."

"To be able to have leadership means being able to look people in the eye and say that's a NIMBY argument and that's a bunch of crap and Calgary is bigger than that," said Hehr. "I believe as mayor, I will have the intestinal fortitude to do that."

John Bayko, who attended the forum as an interested citizen, said nothing he heard was earth-shattering.

"I kind of expected to see what we saw," he said. "It didn't stand out."

Carolyn Davis, an anti-poverty advocate, said she's encouraged that affordable housing is on the mayoral campaign radar.

"It is a critical issue for those who are living in poverty as well as those taxpayers that continue to support all of the social programs that go around having that number of people living in poverty."

Mayor Dave Bronconnier announced in February that he would not seek a fourth term. The municipal election is in October.