(Dreamstime)

By Josh Hall | @Vancan19

bridges community living & RDHA

Funding announced for affordable housing units and providers, including in Red Deer

Nov 22, 2023 | 4:50 PM

The provincial government is providing funding for multiple affordable housing projects and organizations across Alberta.

Budget 2023 included $94 million over three years for capital maintenance and renewal funding. On November 22, 2023, the province announced an additional $16 million in funding. The money will go towards reopening 100 units and undertaking preventative maintenance for another 300 units.

Jason Nixon, Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services said Wednesday, “This investment will support housing providers to keep affordable housing online across our province.”

He added, “We will continue to partner with these organizations to ensure we maintain and grow our affordable housing infrastructure across Alberta.”

Funds will be distributed to 30 housing providers across Alberta who operate government-owned affordable housing units. Via the National Housing Strategy bilateral agreement, the providers can apply to the federal government for cost-matching. Officials noted the funding announced on November 22 will be for units in need of repair and maintenance projects, including replacing windows, fixing roofs, and improving interior environments.

Icy Roads

RCMP says travel not recommended on QEII north of Red Deer

12h ago

University Magazine

RDP ranked 17th among top culinary schools in Canada

15h ago

JANUARY 21 ONLY

Ponoka starting Christmas tree pick up in January

Dec 20, 2024

Locally, groups receiving capital maintenance and renewal funding include:

• Bridges Community Living (Red Deer): $400,000
• Red Deer Housing Authority: $500,000

For Bridges, work will happen at several provincially-owned facilities it manages.

“We’re thrilled with the funding, but our biggest concern with housing is if it’s not maintained, it won’t last as long, and sometimes repairs can become very substantial,” says Olson, asked if the government needs to put more focus on adding affordable housing units.

“We do hear from the federal and provincial governments that they have a desire to see the number of units increased. We’re working on three projects right now, one of which will eventually go ahead. We’re working with private partners to get to the most feasible project.”

Olson says there are barriers to seeing new housing projects get done, one being that the government won’t supply operating dollars. At the provincial level, he says, they’ll only provide 30 per cent of capital costs, with the agencies left to raise the other 70 per cent.

Federally, capital funding comes from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), which hasn’t historically funded mid-sized cities effectively, he says.

“Everyone is trying to work on that problem, but I would challenge governments to re-look at how they’re funding these things and come up with more realistic funding programs so we can get shovels in the ground,” Olson concludes.

Money announced Wednesday will be used on short-term projects at several sites in Red Deer, he shares, including:

1. Pines Lodge – New dining room floor
2. Parkvale Lodge – Door and frame painting
3. Fleming Manor – Upgrade common area lighting to LED and two hot water tank replacements
4. Waskasoo Towers – Repair four suites from extensive damage, flooring in some hallways and new common area flooring
5. Barret Place – hallway and common area flooring, two suites repaired from extensive damage and a Hot Water Tank
6. Canyon View – Hot water tank and convert suite lighting to LED
7. Across all provincially-owned buildings will be some security system upgrades.

Red Deer Housing Authority (RDHA) CAO Franklin Kutuadu says the funding will help them get 15 units in Red Deer, Sylvan Lake and Innisfail up to liveable standards.

“Rent has really been increasing in our communities, and we’re seeing an increase in the number of people on our waitlist,” he says. “This money will help us take more people off our waitlist and into units.”

Kutuadu shared that there are plans in place to add more units for families and Red Deer’s most vulnerable.

“RDHA is working with the City, the provincial government and CMHC to bring more units online.”

The announcement also falls on what is National Housing Day, and in a statement, the Opposition NDP say Premier Danielle Smith is ignoring her responsibility to the housing crisis.

“The UCP are choosing to not support Albertans when they desperately need help,” said Irwin. “Not only has the UCP failed to meet their own targets, but they’ve gone as far as cutting funds for affordable housing and tried to sell off Alberta’s affordable housing stock,” says Janis Irwin, Critic for Housing.

“In the last five years, the UCP has made cuts to rental assistance, and we’ve seen a reduction in the overall number of units built compared to the year before at a time when the population is growing, and the demand for affordable housing is reaching unprecedented highs.”

Irwin also said the 30 per cent coverage of capital costs announced by Nixon has very few guidelines when it comes to the definition of what can be considered affordable housing.

The UCP say that since 2019, it has completed 2,808 affordable housing units and 350 new shelter spaces, totalling $517.8 million across 46 projects.

(with files from Justin Goulet, Lethbridge News Now)

—

Download the rdnewsNOW mobile app on Google Play and the Apple App Store for all the latest updates on this and other stories.