170 affordable housing units coming to Calgary

The provincial budget will fund the construction of 170 affordable housing units in Calgary.

And the province has also increased money to repair provincially owned lower-income housing stock, money that’s been sought by the city, said Mayor Naheed Nenshi.

Seniors and Housing Minister Lori Sigurdson said Thursday that $21.7 million in new funds would fund the construction of those 170 units, among 400 units to be built in eight Alberta cities and towns.

“Budget 2018 reflects our government’s commitment to protecting the vital public services families count on, like affordable housing,” Sigurdson said in a statement.

“Everyone should have access to a safe home. We know there is a significant need for affordable housing in Calgary.”

The province will dedicate $52 million to maintain seniors’ and affordable housing this year — $247 million until 2023.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi praised the province for those top-ups that he called much-needed and vital in ensuring the city doesn’t return those properties to the province’s oversight.

“I’m very, very happy in what’s a tough budget … we owe these people the ability to live in a safe and decent place,” said Nenshi, adding it’s not yet clear how much of that $52 million will come to Calgary.

“The new affordable house units will be critical to address the need.”

The most recent count of homeless people in Calgary pegged the number at about 3,200, while a waiting list for lodging with the Calgary Housing Company is almost 4,000.

Earlier this year, the city said it was hoping the province would nearly double the amount of funding this year, from $12 million to $22 million, for repairing the housing stock the government owns but is operated by the Calgary Housing Company.

Two months ago, Sigurdson said the province would consider the request for the upcoming budget but noted they ’d recently injected $4.5 million to repair affordable housing that city officials describe as “decrepit.”

The budget also includes $17 million to retrofit affordable housing units throughout the province to make them more environmentally and financially sustainable.

The budget is largely a status quo document that does include some bright spots, particularly a $5 million top-up to an initial $192-million homeless outreach fund, said Nick Falvo, spokesman for the Calgary Homeless Foundation.