City of Edmonton pleased by housing funding in federal budget, but unsure how much it will get
CBC
The City of Edmonton welcomes the federal government spending more money for affordable housing projects, although it's not clear how much Alberta's capital city will receive.
The 2022 budget was unveiled Thursday. It included $1.5 billion, over two years, for the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI), a program established to help build affordable housing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hani Quon, the city's acting director of affordable housing and homelessness, doesn't know what Edmonton's portion will be — but he knows what he'd like.
"A per capita calculation makes sense," Quon told CBC News Friday. "In our best estimates that amounts to about $100 million."
In October 2020, the federal government launched the RHI through the Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation (CMHC), an affordable housing Crown corporation, and fronted $1 billion for affordable housing projects.
Last June, it put another $1.5 billion toward the RHI.
The combined spending is expected to result in more than 10,250 units being built across the country, according to the CMHC website.
Edmonton received $61 million total through the program to build 348 supportive housing units so far, Quon said.
The city is building five modular buildings in Inglewood, King Edward Park, Terrace Heights, McArthur/Wellington and Westmount for a total of 210 units.
Two hotels are also being converted into supportive housing complexes: the former Sands Inn & Suites on Fort Road will be run by Niginan Housing, and the Days Inn on University Avenue will be operated by the Mustard Seed for another 138.
Meanwhile, 98 studio apartments at the former Coliseum Inn on 118th Avenue and Wayne Gretzky Drive are in the process of being finalized.
In response to Thursday's federal budget, Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi expressed optimism it will come together.
"I'm very confident that we will be able to tap into federal support to build more supportive housing," Sohi said.
The city's plan to end homelessness includes the goal of building a total of 900 supportive housing units.
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