Jasper says housing plan promised by Alberta government after wildfire falls short

The province has promised $112 million to build 250 units but has tied the money to permanent single-family homes — which the town says would only result in 60 homes being built.

As more than 600 families find themselves without homes in fire-ravaged Jasper, the Rocky Mountain tourist town and the Alberta government are locked in a standoff over what to build for interim housing.

The province has promised $112 million to build 250 housing units for the town, which lost a third of all buildings in a devastating wildfire last summer.

The province, however, has tied that money to building permanent single-family homes, which would need to follow rules for parking and setbacks.

The town says those rules mean such a plan would only allow 60 homes to get built if all allotted space for interim housing was used. The town would like to see the permanent-housing requirement abandoned.

Michael Fark, Jasper’s director of recovery, says the numbers are critical given more than 600 families have applied for the housing.

“The realities on the ground — including limited land availability — mean that this (provincial government) approach would not be nearly enough to meet the community’s urgent housing needs and would significantly impact the ability to meet long-term housing challenges,” Fark said in a weekend statement on the municipality’s website.

Town councillors are set to receive an update on the rebuilding process during a meeting Tuesday, and Mayor Richard Ireland is scheduled to address the media afterward.

Ireland was not immediately available for comment, but in a statement over the weekend he called on the province to continue working with the town and Parks Canada to meet the needs of residents.