‘More than a roof overhead’: Ottawa topping up affordable housing funding for Edmonton

Civida Central Village in Edmonton's Queen Mary Park is undergoing retrofits and upgrades using federal funding. (Galen McDougall/CTV News Edmonton)

The federal government is putting $46 million toward affordable housing in Edmonton.

On Tuesday, Edmonton Centre MP Randy Boissonnault announced a new funding package to build and upgrade affordable housing units in Edmonton.

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“Those of us who are housed know that a home is just more than a roof overhead. It’s actually the place where we can relax after a hard day’s work. It’s where we regroup,” Boissonnault said. “But for far too many, finding stable housing is still an issue.”

Last year, the federal government announced $175 million for 20,000 affordable units in Edmonton over 10 years.

The new funding includes $37 million to build 124 affordable units, to be dispersed through low-interest loans and forgivable contributions. Another $8 million will flow through the Canada Greener Affordable Housing Program to retrofit and upgrade 1,300 existing units.

Civida Central Village, a 42-unit affordable apartment complex in Queen Mary Park, is a beneficiary of the program. It said it will use funding for efficiency upgrades and other maintenance needed on the 50-year-old building.

“As a housing provider, Civida is grateful for the federal government’s investments, which allow housing providers to maintain and improve upon much-needed affordable housing units, ensuring they remain safe, fit for purpose for decades to come.”

Boissonnault said Edmonton homes 2.5 per cent of Canada’s population but had eight per cent of the country’s housing starts last year, something he attributes to available land, faster permits and simpler zoning.

A national housing affordability study recently ranked Edmonton the top city out of 23 municipalities in terms of housing supply and affordability.

The report evaluates areas such as approval timelines, charges and fees on new developments and planning approval processes.

It is the second year the city has topped the list.